30 Kisses: Arc x Yucie
by Veritas Found
Summary: Puchi Puri or Petite Princess Yucie. Unofficial. Indefinitley postponed. Glimpses into the lives of Arc and Yucie, following the 30 Kisses theme table.
1. After the Show

**Title**: "After the Show"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #7 (superstar)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"After the Show"**_

"You did good today, Forehead."

Yucie turned around in shock, her eyes widening as the unexpected voice startled her out of her reverie. She saw Arc walking up to her, and she briefly wondered what he was doing so far away from the castle. She was almost home, after all, and she lived a good distance from the city. She waited for him to catch up to her before continuing her journey.

"I didn't know you were there," she said, giving him a shy look. A light blush had spread across her cheeks at his words, and she was forced to wonder if he had been sincere or if he was just teasing her, like he usually did. He looked down at her in surprise.

"What? The Puchi Puri throw a concert and you expect me to miss it?" he asked, his voice feigning hurt. "I'm surprised, Forehead!"

"Stop calling me that, you big jerk!" she said, glaring at him. His grin grew as he poked her forehead.

"Then what would you have me call me you? 'Princess?'" he asked. Her blush intensified as she set her gaze ahead, determined not to look at him.

"And why would you do that, huh? I'm no princess," she said.

"But you will be," he said. She stopped at looked at him, her eyes wide. He walked another step or two before he realized she was no longer beside him, and he turned to look at her expectantly. "Are you coming?"

"Arc, I…" she started, but she couldn't find the words to finish. He walked back to her and crouched down so that he was eye-level with her.

"You girls are pretty famous now," he said. "The superstars of the kingdom, if you will. You have a lot of people rooting for you to succeed."

He leaned up and kissed her forehead, once again causing her face to take on a light pink tinge. He leaned back and looked her in the eye once more.

"Just remember, no matter how famous you get, I'm still waiting for you," he said. He winked at her, and she smiled confidently before nodding.

"Thanks, Arc," she said. He smiled and nodded.

"No problem, Princess," he said. He stood and gave her a gentle push forward, and their journey to her home continued. She didn't bother asking why he had decided to accompany her, or why he hadn't told her he had planned on going to the concert. She just walked along, talking with him and enjoying the company of her biggest fan.

**A****.n.:** _This is for the 30 Kisses LiveJournal community. Candy-chan (Candyland) inspired me to join with her Prétear fics for 'em. -sheepish grin-_

_  
Anyway, set after ep21, where the girls had their concert. I couldn't really see Arc not showing up for that (you know he was hiding in the stands_ somewhere_), and I also wanted an explanation for why he just suddenly starts calling her 'Princess' instead of 'Forehead' (in ep23). 'Nyway, hope you enjoy!_


	2. If Only

**Title**: "If Only"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #22 (cradle)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"If Only"**_

Gurenda sighed as she looked at the squalling brat in her arms. While she had gotten along with the kids in the kindergarten class fairly easily (albeit their initial tormenting of her), she couldn't seem to do anything right around the four kids involved in their current curriculum. For some reason, Queen Erlsel had thought it would be a good idea to land them babysitting, and she actually meant _baby_sitting, for once. Around the room, whether they were in cradles or the arms of a Puchi Puri, were four babies, none of them even over a year old.

"I still don't see why we had to do this one," she said in an agitated voice as the baby girl in her arms squirmed for the umpteenth time. "Go to sleep already!"

"Yes, one would be confused by this, as we have already spent time with Miss Rena's kindergarten class," Erumina said as she tickled the baby on the mat before her. Gurenda snorted, but for once she couldn't argue with heaven's princess. She had just pointed out her own point, after all.

"It's not really that bad," Kokoru said, a bead of sweat rolling down her head. "I think they're cute."

"Yeah, yeah," Gurenda said, rolling her eyes. "They'd be cute if they listened. Go to sleep!"

Kokoru sighed as Gurenda continued to argue with the child in her arms. She turned back to her own charge, a boy of around seven months, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. He had curled towards her instinctively, and the action had brought a small smile and an almost maternal feeling to the girl. She continued to rock the child back and forth as Gurenda argued with the girl she was watching, deciding it was best to ignore the demon's actions.

"It's almost hard to believe, but if not for this curse, these might be our kids," she said. Erumina and Gurenda looked up then, almost shocked by her words. She had said them in a manner that lead the two to believe she really hadn't paid any attention to what she was saying, as if they had been a thought that had unknowingly leaked out. Gurenda opened her mouth to say something to rebut this point, but she found she couldn't at Kokoru's wistful look. The girl seemed to almost be yearning for that to be the case… So, as any friend would do, Gurenda went along with it.

"Yeah," she said, "we'd probably be married and everything! As it is, though, none of us are even close to finding a husband. Well, except for the brat, that is."

Kokoru giggled before nodding. She glanced up before adding, "And you, if you count your froggy prince."

"Hey!" Gurenda said, glaring at her. "I thought we were gonna forget that!"

Erumina shook her head, choosing to stay out of this particular battle. She glanced over at Yucie, who was sitting next to a cradle and peering into the wooden structure, and frowned. Yucie hadn't even made an attempt to contradict Gurenda's point, which was perfectly accurate. She didn't even seem to be paying any attention to them, and her eyes held the same wistful look Kokoru's had earlier. She was staring into the cradle with that soft, yearning expression, and Erumina somehow knew her thoughts had been along the same lines. Perhaps she was imagining what a family with the prince would be like? She doubted this was the case, but it seemed likely. Her trance was broken a moment later, however, as Gurenda dragged her into the conversation.

"Oi, brat!" she called, giving Yucie a rather obnoxious smirk. "Do you think we're right or what?"

"Sorry?" Yucie said, looking up. Her eyes were startled and scared, as if she had been caught doing something she had clearly been told was wrong. "What was the question again?"

Gurenda rolled her eyes, and Kokoru took over.

"Do you think, if not for this curse, we'd all be married with children of our own by now?" she asked. Yucie's face turned a bright scarlet, and Erumina smiled secretively, realizing she had been right in her assumptions. No, she hadn't been right - she had been dead on the money.

"U-um…why are you asking me? I don't know," Yucie stammered. "Why would I, anyway?"

"Well, you are the only one of us with someone who could actually be considered a boyfriend," Gurenda said smugly. "You should know better than any of us how possible it is."

"W-what?!" Yucie screeched, her eyes shooting open in indignation. "I-I am not!"

"Yes, you are!" Gurenda said, smirking. "What do you think Arc is?"

"He's just a friend!" Yucie said.

"Friends don't go kissing friends, brat," Gurenda said. "Admit it: you like him and he likes you, and if not for this curse you'd already be married and working on your first kid!"

Yucie looked away, a furious blush on her face. She knew Gurenda was right, but she would never admit it. After all, though Arc had promised to wait for her, she still didn't think he could ever like her like _that_. It just wasn't possible, and she didn't want to torture herself with silly dreams about it.

While Gurenda began gloating over how she had been right, and while Erumina and Kokoru tried to quiet her before she woke the other babies, Yucie turned back to her slumbering charge and frowned.

Even if she didn't like torturing herself, she couldn't deny the fact that she really _had_ been considering it, or the fact that she wanted it more than anything else in the world.

- W -

Arc knew he shouldn't sneak out of the palace as often as he did, but he really couldn't help it. He knew it made his mother worry, and he knew it really might not have been the safest thing for him to do, but sometimes it was just something that had to be done.

On this particular day, he had snuck out after a particularly long lecture on how he needed to 'find a nice girl' and 'settle down.' Now, being a prince, one would think he'd be used to these lectures. However, he wasn't. Erlsel usually wasn't one to nag on the point, but ever since he had taken his months-long journey…he just didn't see why she needed to make such a big deal about it. Besides, he had someone in mind…he just had to wait a little longer before he could do anything about it.

He came to a halt outside a carpenter's shop; standing just inside the door, perfectly visible from the street through the large window, was his 'nice girl.' Her steward was talking to the shop owner a short distance away over what looked like a chair, but she was standing in front of a baby's cradle. A small smile was on her face, and she looked like she was a thousand miles away, lost in a memory. She was slowly rocking the cradle back and forth, and something about the picture just seemed…right, somehow. Curious as to why she was acting so strange, he entered the shop and walked over to her. She didn't even notice him until he cleared his throat. She jumped and stared at him, surprise written over her face, before she looked back at the cradle.

"What're you doing, Forehead?" he asked. She shrugged slightly, her gaze once again taking on that far-away expression.

"Nothing," she said. "A chair broke, and Papa sent Cube and me to get a new one."

"That explains why you're here," he said, "but it doesn't say why you're looking at cradles."

He didn't miss the light pink that flooded her cheeks, and it only made him more curious. Just what had she been thinking before he arrived? The nervous laugh made her more suspicious, and he quirked his brow at her.

"I-I'm not!" she said, a defensive clip to her tone. "I was just…it was…uh…pretty. Yeah, it's a pretty cradle."

"Uh-huh," he said, obviously not convinced. She gave him a sheepish smile.

"A friend's having a baby and I wanted to find her a good present?" she tried. He shook his head and poked her forehead.

"'Fess up, Yucie," he said. "Why were you looking at cradles? I don't see why you would need to."

Her smile vanished as she looked away from him. She put a hand on the cradle and began rocking it again, her frown turning into a sad, almost watery smile. For a moment he thought she would cry, but she never did. She gave him a noncommittal shrug.

"I was just thinking about something Gurenda said yesterday," she said, "at our babysitting job."

"Babysitting? My mother has you girls babysitting?" he asked, his smirk returning. He saw so many ways he could rile her with that, but he knew, judging from her attitude, that today wouldn't be a good day to torment her.

"Yeah," she said. "It was fun, actually. The last time Kokoru and I were babysitting I had to babysit a pet, so it was fun getting to look after an actual baby."

"So now you want one?" he asked, still slightly confused. Yucie gave another little shrug.

"Gurenda said that, if not for this curse, we'd all be married with kids by now," she said. Her frown deepened, and her daydream was brought back to her. She shook it off, once again reminding herself it wasn't good to dwell on those thoughts.

"Yucie?" he asked, concerned.

"And she's right," she said. Her face had turned slightly sour, and he could again clearly see all the contempt she held for the curse. "If not for this stupid curse, I'd already be married, and I would probably even have a child instead of just being one."

"Yucie…"

"I'm being stupid, I know," she said, looking down, "but I can't help but think about it. Because I still look like a child, I'm treated as one. No one would ever even look at me as a possible wife, and I can't blame them. Who would want to marry a ten-year-old?"

"Yucie," he said again, this time with an air of authority. She looked up at him with watery eyes, slightly surprised by his harsh, annoyed tone, and he regretted it - somewhat. He needed to make her understand, though. He stooped beside her and put a hand atop her head.

"If not for the curse," he started, "you wouldn't have become a Puchi Puri, and you wouldn't have met me. Didn't I tell you I'd wait for you, Yucie? I know you'll become the Platina Princess, and then you'll look as old as you truly are."

He pulled her into a hug, startling her. He put his mouth next to her ear and whispered, "And I promise, Forehead, someday I'll give you all the kids you want."

He felt her arms wrap around his neck, and he let out a little breath he hadn't known he had been holding. A voice in his head chanted 'crisis averted,' but he knew it really hadn't been. No matter what he said, the thoughts would always linger at the back of her mind, haunting her. As unfair as it was, he really wanted to blame Gurenda for this mess, but he knew she had probably had those thoughts before Gurenda ever said anything. He gave her a gentle squeeze before he kissed her cheek and pulled away.

"Better now?" he asked. She smiled and nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Yeah," she said. "I told you I was just being stupid."

He smirked and tapped her nose, saying, "Hardly."

"Lady Yucie? We can go now." They turned to see Cube standing off to the side, a chair placed before him. He looked at Arc and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Arc. It's good to see you again."

Arc nodded at him before letting Yucie go. He jerked his head in Cube's direction.

"You should get going now," he said. "Don't want Sir Gunberd worrying."

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, much to his surprise. She smiled and nodded at him, and he noticed it was a genuine smile, before running over to Cube. He watched as they left, and he couldn't hide his grin.

The grin widened as he realized she had kissed him. _She_ had kissed _him_. It was the first time she had done so, and even if it was just a peck on the cheek, he looked at it hopefully. Maybe she was finally easing up around him. He cast the cradle beside him a glance, and his smile softened. He had to admit: he had panicked slightly when she had told him why she had been looking at it, but he wasn't sure why. He thought it was because she had been so troubled by it, but still…

He knew it wasn't because he was scared of kids or didn't want a family. Really, he hadn't even thought much about it. Now that he did, he liked the idea. A quaint picture of an older-looking Yucie standing over a cradle holding a sleeping child came to his mind, and his grin widened slightly. Yeah, he really liked that idea.

"I take it you're the one who's captured Yucie's heart," the owner of the store said as he walked over. Arc looked up, startled out of his musings by the unexpected voice.

"Excuse me?" he asked. The owner laughed, a deep, boisterous sound that reminded Arc of a parental figure of sorts.

"You're the one Yucie's fallen for," he said, giving him a toothy grin.

"I guess I am, yeah," Arc replied, still unsure where the owner was going with this.

"That's good," the owner said. "What with her curse and all I didn't think she'd ever find someone."

"You know about the curse?" Arc asked, surprised. The owner gave another laugh before nodding.

"Aye," he said, "I've known Yucie since she was in diapers. Gunberd and I are old friends - we joined the palace guard together, but I couldn't stick with it like him. Needed a quieter life."

The owner glanced at the cradle, a paternal smile on his face.

"She'll make a good mother someday," he said. Arc nodded and stood, his mental image from earlier returning and causing him to smile.

"Yeah," he said, "she really will." 

**A.n.:** _I didn't expect to have the next one done so fast, but what can I say? When the plot bunnies attack, they_ really _attack. XD I can't help but feel it's a little too similar to my last theme, but I'm still happy with it. -nod-_


	3. Not Even A Knight

**Title**: "Not Even a Knight"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #21 (violence)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Not Even a Knight"**_

Arc was an excellent swordsman. He had been trained from a young age because his father felt it important for him to know how to defend himself. His father used to tell him that, should a war break out, he would need to fight with his soldiers. His father also used to tell him that there might come a day when he would need to protect his queen.

"The world's a violent place, Aero," he used to say. "You need to keep yourself and your family safe."

Arc hadn't really understood then, but he did now. Now that he was older, and married, he understood all too well what his father had meant. He would give his life for Yucie, as long as she remained safe - as long as she remained untouched by the violence he had seen in his travels. The only thing that mattered to him was her, and he had promised himself that he'd guard her.

Perhaps that was what made this so extremely hard.

In those few months he had been searching for the one who assembled the Eternal Tiara, he had seen a lot. Whether it came in the form of highwaymen or simple tavern fights, he had witnessed more fighting than he had ever seen before. He had seen men skewered on the tips of blades, women treated like dirt, children ripped from their parents, and numerous other things he didn't really care to remember. When it came down to it, he had realized the world really wasn't as safe as he had been led to believe. Life wasn't guaranteed for anyone, regardless of social status.

Still, he had never expected this.

Yucie had left to visit her father a few days before. Gunberd had fallen ill, and Yucie had determined to watch over him while he battled his illness. She had told him not to worry and that she'd be home soon, but he had still been nervous. He had asked to accompany her, but she had told him he was just being silly. Now he wished he had listened to his gut.

The report had come in early that morning. She had been on her way home when she was ambushed by some highwaymen. Frederik, who had informed him of the attack, hadn't told him everything. All he really said was a general overview of what it appeared happened, and he hadn't been able to finish before Arc had raced out of the room and towards the scene.

Not even a knight would have been able to view what he was then staring at. His stomach churned, and for a moment he honestly felt he would be sick. The pressing nausea passed, though, and he was able once more to look at what had been his wife.

She lay unmoving on the side of the road. Her body was bloody and bruised, and her clothes were torn to shreds. Her face was contorted into a grimace of pain, and he knew…without even going over to her, he knew she was dead.

The guards around her, who had been cleaning up the attack scene, tried to convince him to leave. They told him he shouldn't see this, that it wasn't good for him. He pushed them aside and walked over to her lifeless form. He dropped to his knees beside her and reached out with a shaky hand to touch her face. A sob caught in his throat as his hand traced her cheek contour. Biting back the tears, he leaned down and placed the ghost of a kiss on her pale lips.

"I'm sorry, Yucie," he choked out. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I'm sorry…"

"Sir," said a guard as he placed a hand on the prince's shoulder, "we have to finish cleaning up here."

"I understand," Arc said quietly, yet he couldn't move. As much as he hated what lay before him, he couldn't tear himself away from it - away from her. A part of his mind told him that, if he just stayed by her side a moment or so longer, she'd return to him. Even though he knew this was impossible, he couldn't hope but wish. He couldn't believe that she was really gone, that she had really been taken from him. He couldn't believe that he had failed her.

Even being an excellent swordsman, he still couldn't keep the one person who meant everything to him safe from the violence of the world.

**A****.n.:** _-sheepish grin- Plot bunnies are evil, I'm telling' ya'… And somehow, I just knew my DSWD would pop up in these…_


	4. Just Like Him

**Title**: "Just Like Him"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #5 ("ano sa" ("hey, you know…"))  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Just Like Him"**_

It was just like him to do something like that. There she had been, worrying over the upcoming concert, and he just had to go and…well, be him! It was bad enough she was so nervous - she didn't need him making it worse!

"You'll do fine, Yucie," he had told her after she had explained why she was so jumpy. "Besides, the crowd will be too distracted by your large forehead to hear you mess up!"

Of course, this had to followed up by one of his mocking kisses to the aforementioned 'large forehead.'

"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" she shouted angrily as she stomped her foot into the dressing room floor. Her friends turned to look at her, eyebrows raised or faces appearing concerned at her antics. Gurenda sighed as she walked over to her; she stopped next to her and poked her forehead.

"Hey, brat," she said calmly. Yucie turned a sharp eye on her.

"What?!" she snapped.

"You know your dress is on backwards, right?"

**A.n.:** _This time, it's set right before the concert! Sorry, but after the last one, I had to make a slightly humorous one._


	5. A Future Unseen

**Title**: "A Future Unseen"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #26 (if only I could make you mine)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"A Future Unseen"**_

Arc hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until he awoke and saw the sun was nearing its evening point in the sky. He just didn't remember dozing off. He also didn't remember a time when he had been so unbelievably comfortable, and at first he regretted waking up. Waking up meant he would have to move, and it also meant he would have to figure out how he could be so comfortable when he was leaning against an old tree. Normally he wouldn't be bothered by the fact, but the comfort was coming from a warm, soft mass that was lying on top of him. Seeing as how he also didn't remember that mass being there before he lost consciousness, he felt it somewhat important to figure out just what it was.

Any worry he had felt towards the object vanished immediately when he opened his eyes and saw just what it was. He recognized it immediately as Yucie, and he was surprised to find it was her on top of him. What was she doing there? Why was she lying on him? Did she even realize she where she was?

He immediately chastised himself for thinking that; of course she didn't know where she was. She couldn't. Simply put, she wouldn't be there if she did. Whenever there was a moment that could be considered 'intimate' between them, she spazzed. She would blush and get as far away from him as possible, and she'd get really nervous. He didn't know if it was because she was extremely shy or because she had no interest in him, but he hoped it was the first option. There was something disheartening in the thought that she might not like him at all.

And yet, he knew that was likely the case. He sighed as he gently pulled her closer. His hand lazily ran through her long hair, and he gave her a thoughtful, depressed look. It had to be the case.

He wasn't really much older than her - maybe only two or three years, despite how it looked. While that didn't matter to him, he knew it was very important to her. She had told him as much the day she had discovered he was really the prince, when she had asked him to wait for her until she was an adult. He already saw her as an adult, but she didn't. She couldn't get past the curse that had trapped her in a ten-year-old's body, and he knew she never would. Maybe that was why she never gave them a chance.

She had asked him once to treat her like an adult; he always thought he had. Still, he had kissed her that day. It hadn't been his usual forehead-kiss, but it had been a real, mouth-kiss. She had never mentioned it again after that, and he felt it had done more to harm their relationship than it did to help them. She had been more jumpy around him after that, and it just seemed like she was putting more distance between them. He wished she would stop.

He saw her in his future. A slight smile came to his face as the thought brought back memories from the time they had first met, when they had been much younger. He hadn't fully realized it at the time, but even though he had only been eight, a part of him had known she would be the one back then. His smile grew as he allowed himself to be lost in the memory.

_He just had to get down from this wall and across the courtyard, then he'd be home free. He placed his foot in a notch between some of the bricks and steadily began to climb down. When he was close enough to the ground, he released the wall and fell. At least, he would have, if Frederik hadn't grabbed him out of mid-air._

_  
"Hey, let me go!" he said angrily as he began twisting in the air, trying to free himself from his guard._

_  
"I don't think so, young prince," Frederik said with a chuckle. "Your mother wants to see you."_

_  
"I can walk!" he cried. He continued wriggling the entire way to his mother. Frederik simply laughed at him, amused at the boy's antics._

_  
"Frederik, put him down," Erlsel said when they entered the throne room. Frederik nodded and dropped the prince, who fell in a heap on the floor. Arc proceeded to stick his tongue out at the older man. "Aero, don't be so disrespectful!"_

_  
"Sorry, mother," Arc said sheepishly as he looked down._

_  
"Now, where have you been? Are you hurt?" Erlsel asked as she walked over to him. She knelt down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, studying him for any injuries._

_  
"I'm fine, mother!" he whined. She nodded, satisfied, and smiled._

_  
"Now, Aero," she said, "where have you been? I've been worried."_

_  
"I was helping a girl," he said proudly. Her brows shot up in surprise and slight humor at this statement, and her smile turned to a grin._

_  
"You were, were you? And just what were you helping her with?" she asked._

_  
"A wolf attacked her," he said, "and I saved her. And then she had to find these flowers, so I helped her find 'em."_

_  
"You could have been killed!" Erlsel said, her eyes wide. She looked him over once more, and he groaned.  
"Mother, I'm fine!" he whined again. "I fought him off!"_

_  
He looked down as Erlsel frowned at him, but his mind was far away from the palace at that moment. He had followed the girl home after she had gotten her flowers, just to make sure she was ok, and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since. He didn't know why, but something inside made him worry about her. He wanted to see her again. Was this what his father had meant when he had told him he'd know his queen because he'd never want to leave her? He had thought his father was crazy back then, but now… He smiled as he looked up at his mother._

_  
"I'm gonna marry her, mother," he said. Her eyebrows shot up once more at his startling statement._

_  
"You are now?" she asked, clearly amused by it all. He nodded fervently._

_  
"Yep!" he said cheerfully. "I'm gonna marry her!"_

_  
Erlsel laughed and ruffled his hair._

_  
"Ok, Aero," she said. "You'll marry her. Now go get cleaned up for dinner."_

_  
"Yes, ma'am!" he said as he ran out of the room. He stopped when he saw Frederik smiling at him in the hall. "What?"_

_  
"Do you really think you'll marry this girl, highness?" he asked. Arc rolled his eyes at him._

_  
"You're so weird, Frederik," he said. "'Course I am!"_

_  
Frederik laughed as he began walking alongside his prince. He nodded and said, "We'll see, young one. We'll see."_

_  
_He knew his mother and Frederik hadn't believed him back then, and, admittedly, he doubted he really believed himself. Still, a part of him had always remembered her. When he had run into her at the church, years later, he had recognized her. He didn't realize exactly who she was until she had told him of the time he had rescued her, and he had been shocked to discover it really was her. Still, despite how young she still looked, something had drawn him to her. He had once again found himself longing to see her again, if only just for a moment. He didn't know exactly when it happened, whether it was all those years ago or sometime in these past few months, and he didn't know exactly how it happened, but she had unknowingly placed herself in his future.

He couldn't say he'd marry her, not like he could back then, but he knew he wanted to. He wanted it so much…he wanted to spend his life with her. He wanted to wake up every morning just as he had done today, with her in his arms. He wanted to have kids with her, to take care of her when she was to old to do so herself. He wanted _her_.

And it hurt more than anything knowing that there was a very good chance she didn't feel the same. Some things she did made him question this thought, but everything else screamed in its favor. What else could it be if not that? If she cared for him as much as he did her, she wouldn't jump away from him like he had burned her whenever he held her. She wouldn't shy away from him; she would actually give him - them - a chance.  
She stirred slightly, and his eyes widened in panic. His grip unconsciously tightened on her as he prayed for her to stay asleep, even if it was just for a little longer. He didn't want her to get up yet. He didn't want her to leave him yet.

"Arc?" she asked groggily as she awoke. His eyes shot open as he realized she had known exactly where she was, and for a moment he didn't know how to take it. He continued to toy with her hair as if she had said nothing, yet he nodded.

"Go back to sleep, Yucie," he said quietly, pleadingly. 'Please…just for a little longer. Go back to sleep.'

"M'k…" she whispered sleepily as she curled closer to him. A soft, almost heartbroken smile placed itself on his lips as he realized she probably didn't have any idea what was going on, even if she did recognize him. When he was sure she was asleep, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Yucie," he whispered. He saw a small smile curve her lips as she shifted slightly.

"Love you too, Arc," she mumbled back. His brows furrowed together as that heartbroken smile returned.

'If only you did, Forehead,' he thought dismally. 'If only you did.'

**A****.n.:** _Eh…kinda fluffy, kinda sad. I've been working on this one for a few days…it just didn't want to write. I knew everything I'd put in it, but for some reason whenever I sat down to type it out the words just wouldn't come. -gonk-_

_  
Also: this is a sole product of listening to K's Choice's "20.000 Seconds" non-stop for over 24 hours. XD I'd highly suggest listening to the song - it's bloody gorgeous._


	6. Midnight Alarm Clock

**Title**: "Midnight Alarm Clock"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #17 (kHz (kilohertz))  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Midnight Alarm Clock"**_

Arc was almost used to the piercing squall coming from the tiny room joined to his bedroom by then. He groaned and threw an arm over his eyes, hoping that maybe the skull-splitting noise would go away. He just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, hopefully finishing out the night without another rude awakening. However, as he felt Yucie stir beside him, he knew he had to move. After all, she had answered the demanding calls for the past few nights, and they were beginning to show their toll. He placed a hand on her arm and leaned over, kissing her forehead.

"I'll take care of it," he whispered to her. "You just go back to sleep."

"Mmfdun atcher duan," she mumbled. He chuckled and shook his head.

"I'll manage," he said. He crawled out of the covers and stood, stretching to awaken some of the muscles in his still-sleeping back. He cast one last glance at Yucie, who had curled onto his spot as soon as he had left the bed, and smiled.

Before he could get lost in thoughts about his beloved wife's bed-hogging tendencies, another cry pierced the air. He winced and looked at the closed door that lead to his two-month-old daughter's nursery. He had better go to her before her crying awoke the entire palace. He wouldn't be surprised if she did, either - that kid could scream.

When he opened the door, the noise intensified a hundredfold. He winced and quickly hurried in, shutting the door behind him. His daughter didn't seem to notice someone was coming, as the squalling didn't cease. He made his way over to her cradle and scooped her up, shushing her like he had seen Yucie do so many times before. There was no odor in the room, and she had no reason to be hungry, so he was fairly sure the little girl was just antsy.

"Hey, now," he said, "can't you ever sleep for more than two hours?"

Her wails died down slightly as he continued to rock her, humming a light tune to help send her back to dreamland. She curled towards him as her cries tapered down into hiccoughs, and his smile grew slightly. Wide, innocent aqua eyes stared up at him, and he found himself lightly poking her stomach. Aside from her eyes, she looked exactly like her mother, large forehead and all.

As she drifted back into the realm of sleep, Arc found himself wondering how long she'd stay there. Usually, after she woke up that first time, she was up every hour or so. He knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, and he looked back at those three hours he had managed to capture longingly. He'd be exhausted in the morning, and all because of his little midnight alarm clock. He knew he had no choice, though. Her cry could wake the dead (he'd never understand how something so small could be so loud), and he wanted Yucie to get more sleep than she was (she was almost like a walking corpse these days), so it was up to him to take care of the little one.

"You stay asleep this time," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. He placed her back in the cradle and stood over her for a moment longer, simply watching her.

He didn't really mind the early-morning calls. They were just another part of the job, and she usually went back to sleep fairly easily. He just wished she wasn't so loud.

A few minutes later, he tore himself away from her and went back to his own room. Yucie was sitting up in bed, her head resting on her knees, which she was hugging to her chest, and watching him with a sleepy smile. He frowned as he laid down beside her.

"I thought I told you to go back to sleep?" he asked. She smiled and looked down at him, shrugging lightly.

"Yeah," she said, "but I thought you'd need help."

"I know how to take care of her, Yucie," he said. She laid down beside him and cuddled against his side, her smile growing.

"Mmhmm," she mumbled as she rested her head against his arm. He sighed and pulled her closer.

"Just go back to sleep," he said. "You know she'll be up again soon."

"Mmm," Yucie mumbled again as she curled closer to him. "Love you."

"Love you too, Yucie," he said. He glanced over to the door leading to the nursery before he looked back to his wife, a soft smile on his face. 'You and the noise-maker.'

**A****.n.:** _Wasn't too sure how to do kHz, so I just did something loud. -sheepish grin- Also, sorry this took so long - been majorly blocked. My Creative Writing class broke through that, though! XD (Yes, second semester just started - had my second CW class today. -big grin-)_


	7. Torn

**Title**: "Torn"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #8 (our own world)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Torn"**_

_Yucie didn't really understand how it was possible, but she also knew not to question things like this. 'Never look a gift-horse in the mouth' and all that, right?_

_  
Arc was sitting in the grass next to her, looking out on a field of Sunset Brights. He was perfectly healthy, and he was saying something that she wasn't really paying any attention to. She was kneeling beside him, watching him in a mixture of awe and curiosity. Just how was he here, anyway? The last she remembered, he had been…he hadn't been well. Going from that, she knew just how hard it would've been for him to be there. So why was he? What was going on? She noticed he had stopped talking, and he was looking at her expectantly._

_  
"So?" he asked. She winced slightly. She had no idea what he had asked, but she did have her own question for him._

_  
"What are you doing here?" she asked. He frowned at her._

_  
"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' I'm here to see you, Forehead! What else would I be here for?" he asked._

_  
"But you're…" she stopped, unable to continue. Though she knew the reality, she still couldn't bring herself to say he was dying. It hurt too much to think about it._

_  
"I'm dying," he said, voicing her thoughts. Her panicked gaze was enough to tell him everything._

_  
"No, you're not! We're going to find a cure!" she said, taking his hand in her own. "I won't let you die, Arc!"_

_  
"You can't stop Diabolos, Yucie," he whispered. She shook her head, determined to make him see._

_  
"I can! We can, the girls and me!" she said. "We'll beat him, and we'll find you a cure. You will live!"_

_  
"You don't have time," he said. "I'm going to die."_

_  
"No, you're not!" she screamed at him. "You big jerk, how can you be so careless about this? I don't want you to die! I lo-"_

_  
The wind was knocked out of her as she realized what she had almost said. She had almost confessed everything to him, even though she had once promised herself she'd remain silent until she could tell him as an adult. Had he caught her last words? Had he realized what she had meant, or was he confused by it all? Did he even care?_

_  
She looked up sheepishly, fully intent on explaining herself, when her gaze locked with his. There was something in his eyes she had never noticed before, a hunger, almost. Had it always been there, and if so, why? She was just a child, or at least she looked like one. How could he harbor any feelings for someone who looked so much younger than him? It wasn't possible - she had to have mistook his gaze._

_  
But when she looked back up at him, that look was still there. A silent longing, a yearning for something, or someone. Who? Her? No…it wasn't possible. Yet, the more her eyes searched his, the more she saw that it was. He was looking at her with those eyes. He was yearning for her. Her mind went back to her first question: had he always looked at her like that? Why was she only just noticing it? Why…_

_  
He jerked her out of her thoughts by snaking his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She scooted forward, her knees stumbling on the grass. For that one moment, while he held her and looked into her eyes, she felt like the world fell away. Their own little world replaced it, one where they were the only ones who existed - who mattered - in the whole place. It was theirs, and she never wanted to leave._

_  
"Arc…" she whispered, his name coming out a quiet sigh that was carried away by the warm breeze. His smile took on a Cheshire-like quality, and he began to gently rub her lower back. She looked at him, confusion in her chocolate eyes._

_  
"You're gonna forget about me now, right?" he asked. As soon as it had come, their world shattered. Her eyes shot open as she struggled for something to say. Confusion and hurt filled those eyes, and she couldn't understand how he could still be smiling._

_  
"Arc, I…how can you ask me to do that?" she forced out, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill out._

_  
"Your friends are more important," he whispered to her. "I'll be fine. Don't choose me over them."_

_  
She looked down, and he leaned forward, placing the ghost of a kiss on her lips. She glanced up at him, an immense pain in her eyes, only to find he had vanished._

_  
"Arc!" she cried, fear creeping into her voice. Where had he gone? What was going on? "Arc! This isn't funny! Where are you? Arc! Arc, don't leave me again! Arc!!!"_

**  
**"Arc!!!" she cried as she jerked forward, her eyes snapping open to reveal large, terrified orbs. She shook as she looked around, recognizing the desolate landscape immediately. That's right…she was in the ruins of the Magical World. Glancing to her side, she saw that her four friends had slept through her little outburst. Good, perhaps that was best. She slumped forward, tears leaking from her eyes as she hugged her knees to her chest.

It was all so unfair! Why had she been placed in this lot? Why did she have to choose between her friends and Arc? It wasn't fair! She couldn't do it. If she chose Arc, if she chose to accept the Eternal Tiara, the friends she had made over those past few months would die. If she chose her friends, it was almost guaranteed Arc would die. While she didn't trust Magazerent, she knew the magician had been right: without the tiara, Arc would die.

But how could she accept the tiara when it would mean her friends' deaths? She couldn't return to the Human World without them. Who was she to decide their fates? She wasn't even a royal! And her father…

Anger towards Gunberd surged through her. He had assembled the tiara. He had brought this upon them, upon her. Yet, she knew she couldn't blame him. He hadn't known the consequences, and he still didn't. He was probably at home, waiting to welcome the new princess home with an elaborate feast. Still, a part of her wanted to blame him.

And what of that dream? What had it meant, and why had she had it? It had seemed so real, but she knew it was impossible. Arc was in the Human World, dying. She was probably the last thing on his mind, even though he was all that was on hers. She felt horrible even thinking it, that he could be thinking of her at a time like this. He needed to concentrate on fighting Diabolos - on living.

"I'm alone in this," she whispered miserably. Her mind wandered back to the good part of the dream, the part before his unreasonable request. Even if it was just a dream, it had been perfect. It had felt perfect. It had been just them, in that field filled with their flower. And how he had looked at her…she knew she'd only be granted that look in her dreams. Even though she knew that, she still couldn't help but think about it. It had been their own little world. Well, in a way. He knew nothing about it, but he had still been there. She closed her eyes, a bittersweet smile on her face.

'Maybe we can stay there,' she thought. 'Time can stop, no one will die, and we can be together…just us in our own little world.'

**A****.n.:** _Part of this installment was totally inspired by Shii-chanchick. She's started an awesome PPY fic, and if you enjoy PPY I highly suggest you get over to her website and check it out (click the link in her author's profile - it's not up on _


	8. A Wish Fulfilled

**Title**: "A Wish Fulfilled"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #29 (the sound of waves)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"A Wish Fulfilled"**_

Arc leaned back against the door frame, an impatient look on his face. He glanced at the stairs, wondering when Yucie would make her appearance, and sighed. What was taking her? He had been early, yes, but not that early. Didn't they agree they wanted to leave before mid-morning? He closed his eyes, again sighing. Girls really did take forever.

"Mr. Arc, are you sure you don't want anything to drink while you wait?" Cube asked as he looked up from the table. Arc shook his head and looked back at the stairs.

"No," he said. "I want to leave, but Yucie's apparently never going to be ready."

"That's not true!" Yucie said as she came running down the stairs. She jumped over the last two, skidding to a stop between Arc and Cube. She glared at him and put her hands on her hips. "I couldn't find my swimsuit, that's all."

"Really?" he asked, a smirk forming on his face. He looked her over, wondering what she would look like in a swimsuit now that her body was finally developing properly. Though the ordeal with the Eternal Tiara had only been a few months ago, she was already almost up to his chin, and he wasn't even going to get started on those curves.

"Yes, really! My old one doesn't fit anymore, and I misplaced my new one. I found it, though," she said, her glare turning into a smile. His smirk grew.

"And why did you need it?" he asked.

"Arc, you big dummy! You can't expect me to go to the beach and not swim!" she said. The smirk grew another notch.

"Yes, but you don't really need a swimsuit to swim," he said. He heard Cube groan and saw the consternated look that took over Yucie's face, and for a moment he felt absolutely brilliant.

"But what else would I swim in? I couldn't sw…ARC!!!!!!" she cried, her face turning a lovely shade of scarlet. He laughed and poked her forehead.

"Relax, Yucie," he said. "I'm only joking. Now c'mon, let's get out of here."

"Fine, fine," she said, heading for the door. "See you later, Cube!"

"Have fun, Lady Yucie!" Cube called as she left the house. He looked at Arc as the prince went to follow his mistress. "You are determined to get her to leave you, aren't you?"

"Hmm?" Arc asked, turning to look at him. "Oh, no. I just love teasing her."

Cube sighed as Arc threw him a wink before leaving.

"Some things will never change, I guess," he said, leaning back in his chair, "no matter how much everything else does."

-W-

"Yucie!"

Yucie looked up as she jumped down from the horse just in time to see Gill walk out of the inn. A grin broke out across her face as she ran over to him, giving him a hug when she reached him.

"Mr. Gill!" she cried. "It's so good to see you again!"

"I'd say!" the innkeeper laughed. He pushed her arm's length away and grinned. "My, look at how much you've grown! Gunberd said the curse was broken, but I didn't think you'd shoot up like you have! You're becoming quite a beautiful lady, Yucie."

"Th-thank you," she said, looking down as a blush filled her face.

"Hey, now," Arc said as he walked over, a smirk on his face. "I'm the only one who can tell her she's beautiful. Right, Forehead?"

"Shut up, you idiot," Yucie said, giving him a look. Gill grinned as he saw Yucie's blush grow. "Mr. Gill is an old friend of Papa's. He's like my uncle, so he can say whatever he wants."

"This must be the mysterious Arc I've heard so much about," Gill said. He held out a hand and nodded at the prince. "It's nice to finally meet the one who's stolen Yucie's heart."

Gill's grin grew as he saw a light blush cover Arc's face as well. He scratched the back of his head as he shook Gill's hand, nodding.

"Y-yeah," he said. Yucie grinned, glad Gill had put Arc in his place, and she turned towards the building.

"Well, I'm gonna go get changed!" she declared. Arc looked at her, a malicious glint in his eyes, and she realized exactly what he was about to say. "Arc, don't be a pervert."

"I wasn't going to say anything, Forehead," he said, his grin vanishing. She turned and headed towards the inn with Gill, a smug smile on her face.

"Of course not," she said. "You never do."

"Come on," Gill said, chuckling. "I'll show you to your rooms."

Once inside her room, Yucie immediately collapsed on the bed. She let out a content sigh as she sank into the covers, reveling in how unbelievably comfortable the mattress and blankets were. She turned her head to look out the large window, which gave a beautiful shot of the sea, and smiled. As much as she wanted to get out there, the bed really was insanely comfortable, and riding over an hour on a horse is a bit much on a body. She nestled further into the blankets, settling on resting for a bit. She wasn't leaving until tomorrow evening, after all, so she had no rush.

She smiled as the thoughts brought her to Arc. She had just passed the half-way point in her schooling, and the curriculum was set to change when she returned to school at the start of the week. When she had told him how far she had come already, he had asked her if she wanted to get away for a weekend, and she had immediately thought of the beach. She hadn't gone there since the previous year's excursion with her friends, and she had been longing to return. Of course, going with Arc wouldn't be so bad, either.

So here she was, at Gill's inn with her suitor for a little over a day. She heard him out in the hall, talking and laughing with Gill, and a warm sensation filled her heart. Though she had still been relatively short at the time, he had begun courting her almost as soon as the dilemma with her friends was over. Cube had told her he had started long before that, but she didn't believe her steward. She also hadn't acknowledged his efforts until a month or so ago, after Cube had pestered her about it. Shortly after the pestering, she had confessed her feelings to Arc, even though she wasn't fully an adult yet. He had just smiled at her and told her that it took her long enough to realize it before he kissed her. A rosy tinge filled her cheeks as she remembered that kiss, and all their kisses since then, and she giggled slightly. She thought about her new bathing suit, a gift from the rambunctious Gurenda, and grinned. She couldn't wait to see his reaction to that little number!

She sat up and pulled the raiment out of her bag, her grin spreading from ear to ear, and she quickly proceeded to change. Yes, she was going to thoroughly enjoy getting him back for all of his colorful comments today…

-W-

"I wonder what's taking her," Arc muttered as he looked up the stairs. He was getting a distinct feeling of deja vu. "I thought she wanted to go out to the water."

"Well, it is a fairly long trip, and you were on horseback," Gill said. "She's probably resting. I'm actually surprised she didn't yell at you for the ride. "

"Oh, don't worry. She'll find some way to get back at me," Arc said, grinning. Gill chuckled and leaned back against the railing, smiling at the youth. "You just wait and…see…"

Gill looked up, confused at what had caused the prince to trail off like that. Arc was gawking up the stairs, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"Whoa," he muttered, still ogling up the steps, Gill grinned as he saw Yucie walking down in her bathing suit, a towel draped over her arm. Arc had been right - she had definitely found a way to get back at the poor guy. And, judging by the devilish smirk he saw on her face, she knew it, too.

The red swimsuit was not something Yucie would have worn while still trapped in her child body; Gill was certain of that. It lacked a skirt, and showed off her newly-developed curves quite nicely. It was also technically a one-piece, but most of the abdomen was made of a translucent material that allowed her stomach to be seen by all. The cut was low, and the straps crisscrossed in the back, also showing off much of her back. Her hair was tied back into a low ponytail, and he had to admit: she was very alluring. Of course, he was unphased by it, seeing as how he saw her as an adoptive niece, but he knew she was torturing the young man beside him.

"Ready?" she asked as she came to a stop before him. Gill watched as Arc jumped and stared at her, his face a bright red at being caught staring. Yucie's smirk grew as she reached under Arc's cloak, taking his hand in her own. "C'mon, Arc! I wanna get down to the water!"

"U-um, yeah, ok," he said, trying desperately to regain his composure. He let her drag him off, his eyes set on the floor before him (which wasn't really a good idea, since his eyes kept traveling up to gaze at Yucie's rear end, which looked so lovely in her swimsuit), while Gill waved them off. Soon they were down by the water, and Yucie was content enough to stop. She sat down on the sun-warmed stone she had led him to and watched the water, a content smile on her face. At her serene actions, he removed his cloak and sat down next to her, enjoying the feeling of the warm breeze on his bare chest. He glanced at her and noticed she wasn't even paying attention to him. Her feet were dangling in the water, disturbing the small waves that lapped at the stone, and she was staring off into the distance. She seemed a thousand miles away. His eyes shot down to her suit again, and he fought off a groan.

'I will get back at you for this, Forehead,' he thought. He looked away, staring out at the sea in a brooding manner, and prayed she wouldn't get any closer. Even though she had confessed her feelings to him already, thus accepting his courtship, there were still certain boundaries he was not yet allowed to cross. What he was doing to her in his mind at the moment was one of them.

He jumped as she leaned against him, cuddling into his side. He gulped and put a shaky arm around her, and a blush that burned his skin took possession of his face. He felt her place a soft kiss on his chest, and this time he couldn't hold back the groan.

"You're killing me, Yucie," he said. She looked up at him, an innocent smile on her face.

"Why, Arc, I have no idea what you're talking about," she said. She sat up straighter, and leaned forward, putting a hand on his thigh to steady herself. "By the way, you never told me whether or not you liked my swimsuit. Gurenda helped me pick it out."

The heated gaze he gave her made her pause and wonder if she should've gone this far. She hadn't meant much by it, but she knew from his tortured, longing glance that she was doing more to him than she had realized. She leaned back, a light blush on her face at how flirtatious she was being. Maybe Gurenda was rubbing off on her more than she wanted to admit. She glanced up at him somewhat shyly, and she noticed his attire for the first time. Now that he had removed his brown traveling cloak, he was clad only in a pair of blue, loose-fitting shorts.

"You want to know the truth, Forehead?" he asked, his tone changing to a more mischievous one. He had caught the blush, and her loosing some of her gusto seemed to return him to his usual self. However, he knew he had to tread carefully here - he was toeing the line, and anything was bound to send him past it. She nodded mutely, glancing up at him. He snaked his arms about her waist, pulling her onto his lap. Her blush darkened, and his cocky grin returned. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.

"Be thankful I have some semblance of self-control," he told her, his voice husky, "because, if not for that, I'd do something I really don't think I should be doing just yet right now, right here. You're driving me absolutely crazy."

Her blush deepened and spread clear to her toes. He grinned as he opened his eyes, staring into her dark orbs with that same heated, yearning gaze he had given her just a few moments before. He pulled her closer, and he felt her tense against him. Something in him snapped, and he knew that, while he couldn't do all he wanted, he could still relieve some of this tension. He again slid his eyes closed and captured her lips with his own, taking her off guard. Instead of blushing and backing away, Yucie leaned into him, deepening the kiss with as much fervor as him; over the last month, the action had become so natural to her she was perfectly comfortable with it, and she even craved it at times. She loved feeling him against her, knowing that she was that important to him - that he loved her as much as she loved him. It was an amazing feeling, and she never wanted to let it - let him - go. He pulled away a moment later, moving her with him as he leaned against a large rock behind him. She stretched out, half on top of him and half beside him, and let out a content sigh. She really needed this mini-vacation.

"Does that answer your question, Princess?" he asked, smiling warmly at her. She nodded, her smile growing.

"I love you, Arc," she whispered before yawning. He began to rub her back, and though he nodded she never saw it.

"I know," he said. She giggled lightly before she dozed off, and it wasn't long before he joined her.

-W-

When Yucie awoke, the sun was beginning to slip below the ocean. She turned slightly, her groggy eyes widening as she saw the brilliant reds and oranges fill the sky like a blazing fire. She curled closer to Arc, who was still sleeping, and smiled at the sight. She loved the ocean.

"Miss Yucie?"

She jumped up, looking to the side to see a familiar lilac-haired, red-eyed girl watching her curiously. Her eyes lit up in recognition and she smiled, scrambling over to the girl, who was standing beside the rocks.

"Hi!" she said. "Wow, I didn't think I'd see you this year!"

"It is you!" the girl laughed. "You've grown so much!"

"Yeah," Yucie said, giggling. "The curse that was preventing me from becoming an adult broke, and now, well…"

"Who is that man?" the girl asked, looking over to Arc. Yucie followed her gaze, and she found herself blushing for what felt like the zillionth time that day. She looked down sheepishly.

"Th-that's Arc," she said. The girl smiled at her.

"The one you love?" she asked. Yucie nodded, her smile softening.

"Yeah, the one I love," she said. The girl nodded approvingly.

"I am glad things worked out for you, Miss Yucie," she said. "You were so torn up about him last year, I didn't know if they would or not. I'm glad they have."

"Thank you," Yucie said. "Have you…?"

"No," the girl said, looking out to the sea. "My love will not return, but at least things worked out for you."

"It's good seeing you again," Yucie said. The girl nodded, smiling brightly at her.

"Yes, it is," she said.

"Yucie?" Arc asked as he sat up, stretching. She looked over and grinned at him.

"Arc, I'd like you meet a friend of mine," she said. She held out her hand to the girl. "I met her here last year."

"What?" Arc asked, looking at where Yucie was gesturing in confusion. "Who are you talking about, Forehead?"

"Huh? My - where'd she go?!" she asked, frantically looking around. "She was just here!"

"Maybe she'll show up again," Arc said as he stood and stretched. He threw his cloak over his shoulders and glanced at the darkening sky. "We should get back to the inn."

"Yeah…" she said sadly. She stood and dusted herself off, glancing once more to where her friend had been standing. She heard a splash off to the side, and she quickly glanced out to the sea. She briefly caught the end of a mermaid's tail slipping into the waves, barely disrupting their quiet crash against the shore. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to be taken in by the comforting rhythm. Her eyes opened a moment later, and she turned to follow Arc. She recalled the story Gill had told her last year, about the lonely mermaid, and her smile softened.

Her friend had been right: at least things had worked out for one of them.

**A****.n.:** _GAH. I've been writing this all weekend! -wince- I've had the idea since I first saw the theme, but I didn't want to write it until I saw the final episode (I was slightly disappointed at first by how misleading that dream was - although you know that's exactly what'll happen at their wedding XD - but I still loved it!), and when I finally did it wouldn't write. I'm fairly happy with it now, though._

_  
AND: on the kissy beach scene…um…blame Rascal Flatts. They have their new song ("What Hurts The Most") up on their site (album release date April 4!), and I've been listening to it non-stop while writing this. I swear, when I get the CD, I'm so songficing that song! Really, I might even use it in theme 14...I got the whole thing planned out in my head. XD 'Nyway, enough of my blabbing! Hope you enjoyed the read!_


	9. Serenade

**Title:** "Serenade"  
**Author:** Wish Wielder  
**Pairing:** Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom:** Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme:** #14 (radio-cassette player)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. "What Hurts The Most" is © Rascal Flatts. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie" or "What Hurts The Most."

**NOTE:** Because radio-cassette players weren't around in medieval times, this one's AU (don't get used to it - I'm not privy to AU fics -sweatdrop-). Also, if you want to listen to the song used in this Kiss, go to the band's website (wwwDOTrascalflattsDOTcom) and look for the banner that says "The New Single 'What Hurts The Most' Click Here To Listen." You have to give them your e-mail address, and they'll e-mail you a link to where you can listen to it.

_**"Serenade"**_

Arc felt like he had lost track of all time since that day. Maybe that's why he was so shocked to see the date, February 14, circled in big red maker on the calendar on his kitchen wall. He already wasn't feeling particularly great that morning, but seeing that brutal reminder made his stomach drop to his feet and beyond. February 14. Three weeks since that day.

Three weeks since life as he knew it collapsed around him.

He turned from the calendar and headed over to the sink, where he proceeded to fill a silver kettle for some tea. Once the kettle was on the stove, he fetched his morning paper and sat down at the kitchen table to read. Maybe today he'd find a story about someone who had it worse than he.

This had become his ritual since that day. He would wake up, usually with more than enough time to get to work, and he'd trudge to the kitchen, where he would make some tea. He'd fetch his paper and read the daily news over a cup of the aforementioned tea. He usually skipped breakfast, and after a brief shower he'd head off to work. After finishing his day at the dojo, where he worked as a kendo instructor, he'd come home. Sometimes he'd have a small meal, sometimes not; usually he just went to bed. It was a ritual, and the numbing sensation it gave him got him through. He didn't see a problem with it, though a part of him knew he was wrong.

It wasn't always this way. He used to look forward to work, to seeing his friends and students. He used to be ok around other people. He used to be…well, happy. Then his world turned upside down with a flourish only she could cause.

He should have seen it coming, though, like most people, he never did. He never saw the tears, the screams, or the pain that followed a break-up. Hell, he never even saw the break-up! He never saw the problems his extra time at work had caused, or the problems her friends would cause. He had opened the dojo a year before with a college buddy, and they had been working hard to get everything in order. The dojo finally started picking up, and he had been able to return to a more normal schedule. However, by then, it had been too late.

He still saw the tears pooling in her eyes, running down her cheeks as she told him she was leaving. He still heard her voice running through his head, telling him that she couldn't take it anymore - that she was tired of waiting for him to "grow up" and "being alone in this relationship." He heard every reason she had given him, including those she accredited to her friends. He remembered scowling at that comment; he had always been on good terms with her friends, and knowing they had suggested that she leave him was a bit stinging. Worst of all the memories, though, was that he still heard the door slamming, closing her off from him forever.

And he had just stood there, like the idiot he was. He had let her walk away.

He glanced back at the calendar as he poured himself a cup a tea. The box wasn't only circled because it was Valentine's Day; he had had another reason. The second reason he had worked late so many nights, even after the dojo was in running order, was because he had been saving up for the ring inside the little box that rested on the shelf below the calendar. He had planned it all out months ago; he would propose tonight, after a perfect evening, and she'd say yes. They'd be married, and they'd live out the rest of their lives together, happily.

Yucie had had other plans.

He looked up from his tea as he heard a knocking on the door, and he sighed. He put his mug down and walked over to the door, opening it to see Yucie. He could see the bottom half of her work uniform, black slacks and a white apron, underneath her cream-colored coat and frowned. What was she doing here, and why was she heading to work so early? He knew she didn't have to report for another hour or so.

"Y-Yucie?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse. She gave him a strained smile, one that looked like it had no place on her usually cheerful face, and pulled her coat closer to her.

"Hi, Arc," she said. "Did you get my things together? We're going to be really busy today, and Papa asked me to come in early."

"I…what?" he asked, confused. She frowned.

"Didn't you get my message?" she asked.

"Message?"

"The one I left last night," she said. "I called around five, but you weren't home…or you weren't answering your phone, but whatever the case was I left a message saying I would be stopping by this morning to get some things I had left here. I had asked you to get them together for me so I could just pick them up and go."

"I didn't check my messages last night," he said. He hadn't been checking his messages for a while now. She sighed and shook her head.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I should be able to collect them pretty fast. Can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, moving aside to grant her entrance. She walked past him, her gait stiff and uneasy, and immediately began to search for her things. He closed the door and watched her, wondering just what to say. He walked over to his radio and turned it on, quietly playing with the buttons until he found a station he liked.

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

"I got it," she said, her voice clipped. He looked away, back to the radio, and remained silent.

He wanted nothing more than to walk over to her, take her in his arms, and kiss her senseless. He wanted to apologize, to tell her how much he had loved her - how much he still loved her. He wanted to tell her things would be better, that he'd be better, and that she didn't have to be afraid to love him again. He wanted her to know he would never hurt her, and that he knew he was a moron for doing it once. He wanted her to know that he had learned his lesson, that losing her was killing him, and that he needed her. He needed her to be there with him, to be his again.

He felt the familiar prick of tears behind his eyes, and he bit his lip. He couldn't cry again, especially not in front of her. He was having a hard enough time staying there, away from her; he didn't need to deal with tears, too. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying desperately to block out the pain and longing as he heard her moving around behind him, when the DJ on the radio had to blow everything.

"This one goes out to all you lovers out there who aren't today, for whatever reason," he said over the wavelengths. "Here's hoping this new song will get you right with your love on this, the most romantic day of the year, because nobody should be alone on Valentine's Day."

His eyes widened as he heard the hauntingly familiar bars over the radio, and he glanced over at Yucie, who was packing up her bag. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice him, or the radio. He smiled softly as his hopes rose; maybe this was a sign. Maybe fate was working for him for once instead of against him. Maybe this was his chance to get her back. Maybe –

"Well, that's about all of it," she said. "I can't find my sweater, though…oh well. If you do, can you drop it by the restaurant?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he said. He'd have to act quickly, he realized as a plan formulated in his mind. He only had one chance to set things right. She walked past him and towards the door as the second verse started.

"I guess I'll see you around, then," she said, her voice quiet. She hesitated at the door, and he bit his lip; it was now or never.

"Wait!" he called. She turned to look at him, confusion marring her brown eyes.

"Y-yeah?" she asked. What was that in her eyes? Hope? He took a deep breath and began singing along with the radio, quietly at first.

"Still harder, getting up, getting dressed, living with this regret," he sang. His voice gained strength as he continued, and he slowly began walking towards her. His eyes locked on hers, and he gazed at her with all the emotion he had felt since she had left. "But I know, if I could do it over, I would trade - give away - all the words that I saved in my heart that I left unspoken."

"A-Arc?" she asked, her eyes wide with confusion. He stopped before her and put a hand on her shoulder, the other one coming up to caress her cheek. Her eyes slid closed at the familiar touch, and her breath hitched in her throat.

"What hurts the most," he continued, his voice full of emotion, matching the song perfectly, "is being so close, and having so much to say, and watching you walk away. And never knowing what could've been, and not seeing that loving you is what I was trying to do."

As he finished, he captured her hand in his own and brought it up to his mouth, gently kissing her knuckles. She leaned back against the door, trembling, and let out a shaky breath. He saw tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, and he bit his lip again, wondering if he had done the right thing. Would she understand? What was she going to say? What would he do if she just pushed him away and walked out for a second time, leaving him forever?

"Please, don't," she whispered. The first tear slid down her cheek. "Arc, I can't -"

"I love you," he said, his voice still wrought with emotion, "and I always have. I never stopped, Yucie. I'm so sorry for everything, and I -"

"Shut up and kiss me," she said, not caring how cliché she sounded. He smiled and placed a hand by her head on the door, steadying himself as he leaned closer to her. He rested her hand over his heart, his hand still clutching hers, and he nodded. Without another word, he leaned down and gently placed his lips on hers. He was unsure at first, but when she pressed against him, almost begging him to soothe her aching soul, any insecurity he might have possessed vanished. He leaned against her, trapping her against the door, and deepened the kiss. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, and she immediately granted him entrance, moaning as he slid his tongue into her mouth, entwining it with her own. He pulled away a moment later, much to soon for either of their liking, and nestled his head in the crook of her neck.

"I'm so sorry, Yucie," he said. She freed her hand from his and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him like he was a lifeline of sorts.

"I didn't want to come," she said, her voice breaking as more tears fell. "I knew if I did…I didn't know what would happen. I was so scared of seeing you again, knowing how hard it still was. I knew I wouldn't be strong enough to stay away from you. I still love you so much…these past three weeks have been torture."

"And you're the one who left," he said, a slight grin on his face. "Imagine how it was for me."

His grin grew at her giggles, and he pulled her closer.

"Hey, Arc," she said, her voice curious. "About that sweater…the pink one you gave me last year. Do you know where it is?"

His face flushed, and he looked away. He knew exactly where it was: in his bed, next to his pillow - right where he had left it when he woke up.

"I-I took it to get cleaned," he sputtered. "It'll be back in a day or so."

"I see," she said, not fully convinced. She glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned. "I have to get to work, but I'll come back afterwards. I get off at eight."

"Valentine's Day rush?" he asked.

"Every year," she said. She grinned at him. "The price you pay when you're a chef at the biggest restaurant in town."

"Just don't eat anything," he said. "I'm going to make you dinner tonight."

"I love you," she said, kissing him again. He smiled and nodded, opening the door for her.

"I love you, too," he said. "And don't forget it!"

"Never," she said. She gave him a final kiss before rushing out. He looked at the bag with her things in it, which she had left by the door. He smiled and closed the door, leaning against it as he looked at the rust-colored satchel. His eyes then fell on the small velvet box under his calendar, and his smile grew. Things definitely wouldn't go exactly as he had planned tonight, but he still had a use for that ring.

_Not seein' that lovin' you  
That's what I was tryin' to do  
_**  
A.n.:** _-smile- Ok, I couldn't wait for the CD to come out! And, as you saw in the note, the song's up on their site, so I listened to it, wrote down the lyrics, listened to it some more, and wrote down the next Kiss. -grin-_

_  
And! Happy Valentine's Day, chicos! This is your VDay present. Well, this, and…I got a little Arc/Yucie pic up on my dA account. So you get a fic and a pic! …please ignore how weird that sounded… -sweatdrop-  
__**EDIT:**__ Pic's no longer up, so…yeah._


	10. Codeine

**Title**: "Codeine"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #18 ("say ahh….")  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Meg "tN!!" D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Codeine"**_

Arc's eyebrows furrowed as the near-silence around him was disturbed. Just a moment ago, he had been lying in bed, holding his sleeping wife and simply listening to the sound of her breathing. He had woken up earlier than usual, and he didn't want to awaken Yucie by getting up. So he had stayed there, with her pressed possessively to his chest, and he had listened to her. Her breathing had been lulling him back to sleep, and then the spell was broken by a violent fit of coughing. Ok, maybe not "violent" violent, but it had been jarring, and it didn't match the otherwise normal pattern of breath.

She groaned and curled in on herself, shivering slightly. His frown deepened at this; the room was warm, and the blanket was heavy in order to keep out the winter chill - she shouldn't be cold. He placed a hand on her shoulder as she began coughing again.

"Yucie?" he asked. He felt her wince.

"S-sorry," she said when the coughing subsided. "Did I wake you?"

"No," he said. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

"You don't sound it." 

"I am." 

He sighed and pulled her closer, nuzzling his head in the crook of her neck. He kissed her shoulder. 

"Liar," he said. She pulled his arm closer to her and shook her head. 

"I'm not," she said. The few coughs that followed this statement seemed to prove Arc's point. 

"You're sick, aren't you?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he sighed. "I want you to go to the infirmary today." 

"I'm fine!" she protested. 

"You're going to see the doctor and that's final," he said. 

"But -" 

"No buts, Forehead," he said. "I don't want you sick." 

"I'm not sick," she said. "It's just a cough." 

"Then see him to make sure that cough doesn't become sick," he said, not missing a beat. She groaned. 

"Compromise?" she asked. 

"I'm listening." 

"If it's not better by tomorrow I'll go," she said. She rolled over and looked at him, her face determined. "Deal?" 

"Fine," he said, sighing, "but if you aren't better by tomorrow, I'm taking you myself."

"I will be," she told him. She leaned up, pressing her lips against his in a quick kiss. "Promise."

-W-

Arc looked over at Yucie in alarm. She had been dressing when another wave of coughing hit her. She was doubled over with one arm propped against the wall, the other clutching her chest, as her body convulsed. He ran over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, steadying her, while the other rubbed her back. 

"You're not better," he said. As the coughing stopped, she weakly looked up at him. She was drenched in sweat, and she was shaking.

"I-I'm fine," she said. He sighed.

"I'm taking you to the infirmary," he said.

"Arc, I'm fine! You're overreacting!" she cried. He shook his head and looked at her.

"I'm not," he said. "You're catching something, and it's best to see the doctor now before it gets any worse."

"But -"

"You didn't go when I wanted you to, and look at you now," he said pointedly. "You said you'd go today if it got worse, and it has. I told you I'd take you, and I am. Now let's go."

She sighed and nodded, defeated. She turned around so that her back was facing him and pulled her hair over her shoulder.

"If you're going to force me to go to the doctor, make yourself useful," she said, giving him a weak grin. He rolled his eyes as he zipped up the back of her dress. He pulled her against him and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Forehead," he said. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm only doing it to keep you from being annoying," she said tartly. He chuckled and kissed her again.

"And I appreciate it. Now let's go," he said, tugging her towards the door.

"I can walk on my own, Arc! It's just a cough," she told him. He shook his head and kept walking. She sighed as he moved to her side, tucking her under his arm. Sometimes he was just too damn overprotective.

-W-

"So, how much of this do you have to take?" Arc asked, turning the bottle over in his hand. Yucie sat down next to him on the bed and leaned on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He looked down at her and frowned; she seemed to be getting worse as more time passed. "Yucie?"

"A capful twice a day until it's gone," she said. She curled closer to him and groaned.

"All right, then," he said. He nudged her, signaling her to sit up, yet she wouldn't move. "Yucie, you need to take this."

"Just let the room stop spinning first," she whined. He frowned, his brows creasing in worry, before shaking his head.

"If you take it you'll feel better," he said. She gave him a weak glare before looking away.

"No, I won't," she said. He sighed and pushed her up. She returned her glare to him, and he poured some of the liquid into the cap of the bottle.

"Now drink it," he said, holding it out to her. She pursed her lips and turned away.

"Uh-uh!" she said, shaking her head.

"Yucie…" he said sternly, yet she wouldn't look at him. He rolled his eyes and waved the cap before her, careful not to spill.

"Say 'ahh,' Forehead," he said mockingly. She shot him a look, and he shrugged. "If you're going to act like a kid, I'm going to treat you like one. Now take it."

"It smells bad," she said, inching away from him. He rolled his eyes yet again and moved the cap closer to her.

"Then drink it so you don't have to smell it anymore," he said.

"If it smells bad, it will taste bad," she persisted.

"Then drink it quick," he continued. She turned back to him, glaring.

"I don't nee - mmph!" she cried as he tipped the medicine into her mouth, forcing her to take it. She grudgingly swallowed the liquid, and then she turned away from him.

"See? That wasn't so hard," he said, grinning. She tried to answer, yet another coughing fit interrupted her. Finally, she simply sighed and leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest.

"You just wait until I'm better," she mumbled. "I'll get you back for that, Arc."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead, a smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, settling her on his lap.

"I'm sure you will, Yucie," he said. "I'm sure you will."  
**  
A.n.:** _I'm so sorry this took forever to get out! I've been majorly bogged down with schoolwork. And, technically, I should be finishing my play right now (Merv hit us with Monday as the due date), but I felt so bad about letting this fester in my comp that I had to finish it. Especially when I went and did that Tutu fic instead of this… -wince- Felt_ really _bad about that one. And this is definitely not my best work… 'Nyway, hope y'all enjoy the read!_

And…just a random thought, but when I finish the play, would anyone be interested in reading it? 0o


	11. Arc's Gift

**Title:** "Arc's Gift"  
**Author:** Wish Wielder  
**Pairing:** Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom:** Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme:** #28 (Wada Calcium CD3)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

**"Arc's Gift"**

"Hey, Yucie!"

Yucie turned and stopped, waiting for Gurenda to catch up. The other students at the Princess Academy walked by as if nothing had happened, but a few occasionally shot her a look for stopping in the middle of the hall. When the princess of the Demon World reached her, she grabbed her arm and dragged her to the side of the hall.

"What are you, stupid?" she asked. "You don't just stand in the center of the hall, you brat!"

"Sorry," Yucie muttered. She looked at her curiously. "What did you want anyway, Gurenda? I need to get to class!"

"Oh, yeah!" Gurenda said. She began digging through her bag, and a moment later she handed Yucie a clear bag of white pills. Yucie blinked, confused, before looking back up at Gurenda.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Arc told me to give them to you, since he probably wouldn't be able to see you today," Gurenda said. "He found them at the magic shop and thought you might like them."

"What was he doing at the magic shop?" Yucie asked. Gurenda shrugged.

"How should I know?" she asked. "I think he was picking something up for a friend. I don't know. Anyway, they're growing pills! He said he thought you'd appreciate the help."

"He what?!" Yucie screeched. Some of the passing princesses turned to give her a sharp look, yet she didn't notice them. Gurenda shrugged.

"Don't ask me! I don't know what that prince of yours thinks half the time. Look, we gotta get to class! C'mon!" she said as she grabbed Yucie's arm and dragged her off. Yucie was so busy fuming she never noticed Gurenda's grin, or the snickers coming from the demon princess.

-W-

Arc glanced up as the gates of the Princess Academy opened. He watched the young princesses walk past, some casting him shy looks or giggling with friends as they spotted him, and he rolled his eyes. He was used to that sort of thing, but he still found it annoying - especially now that he had Yucie. He wondered if it ever bothered her, when other girls tried to flirt with him, but she never let it show. If it did, she was one damn good actor, because he had yet to notice it. He grinned as he saw her walking through the crowd, yet the grin vanished when he noticed the look on her face and her tense posture. Something was up.

"Hey," he said, standing next to her. "What's wrong? You look upset."

"I'm not upset," she snapped. She shot him a scathing look, and he winced.

'Thank God looks can't kill,' he thought as he watched her. She turned her head back towards the path before her, and that "talk to me and die" look came back full-force.

"I don't feel like talking to you right now," she huffed.

"Well, we don't have to talk," he smirked, snatching her hand in his own. He gave it a little tug, trying to drag her away from the group of students. She snatched her hand out of his and glared at him.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted. His brows furrowed in confusion. What was wrong? She wasn't acting herself. Even worse, her shout had caused many of the girls around them to stop and form a small circle around them, as if watching a show.

"Ok," he said nervously, "I can see that you're upset about…something. Can we talk about it elsewhere, though? I really don't want -"

"I don't care what you want, you jerk!" she shouted. "After what you did, we should talk about it in front of your mother!"

"Huh? Ok, what did I do that was so bad you'd threaten that? You know how much she likes you…she'd kill me if I did something to upset you!" he said. The glare turned icier, crueler.

"All the more reason to," she hissed. She pushed her way through the crowd, once again making her way towards her home.

"Yucie, wait!" he called, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. "What did I do?"

"I told you not to touch me!" she screamed, ripping her hand from his own. "I meant it, you jerk! Just leave me alone!"

"Yucie, wait! Yucie!" he called as she ran off. He heard the mutterings around him, and he grit his teeth. Just what the hell was going on? A triumphant burst of laughter from behind him caused him to turn sharply. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Yucie's friends standing a short distance away. Gurenda was cackling, laughing like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, he just knew she was behind this.

"I'm such a genius!" she laughed. He grit his teeth and stalked over to her, looking like the living image of rage.

"What did you do?" he hissed.

"Oh, nothing, really," Gurenda said smugly. Her grin never left, though a hint of fear entered her eyes. He never took it into consideration; she no longer looked ten, so he had no problem kicking her ass, if need be.  
"Tell him, Gurenda," Beth said sternly. Erumina nodded.

"Yes, it would be wise to do so," she said. "Arc looks very unhappy."

"Of course he is!" Beth said. "Gurenda just screwed up his shot with Yucie! Wouldn't you be pissed, too?"

"I have to agree with Beth," Kokoru said. "It wasn't a very -"

"Would you please just tell me what she did?" Arc asked, annoyed. The longer he let Yucie stew over whatever "he" had done, the harder it would be to calm her down.

"I gave her some pills I found at the magic shop that were s'pposed to help growth, only I told her they were from you," Gurenda said. Her grin grew a notch. "It really was a brilliant plan, but what else could you expect from someone with as much beauty and intelligence as I have?"

"Or so much of an ego," he muttered. His glare intensified and he leaned down so that he was inches from her face. He held a finger up in a threatening gesture. "I have to go fix this, but you're not off the hook yet. And once I'm done with you, if Yucie has anything to say I won't hold her back."

Gurenda gulped as he turned on his heel and ran off towards Yucie's home. She was shaking, and everyone who had seen the spectacle, including her friends, were sending her venomous glares. She looked at Beth. 

"Well, that went well," she said.

"You're dead, you know that, right?" Beth asked. Gurenda sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I know…"

-W-

"She doesn't want to see you, Mr. Arc," Cube said from behind the door. He had only opened it a crack when he had heard the pounding; he had figured it would be his mistress's suitor, and he knew she was in no mood to deal with him at the moment. Arc, however, looked desperate.

"Please, Cube," he said, "I need to speak with her. I didn't do it! Gurenda planned the whole thing, and -"

"Miss Gurenda?" Cube asked, startled. He sighed and moved aside, granting the prince entrance. "I should have known. You can try, but I can't promise she'll listen."

"Thanks, Cube," he said. Cube nodded and walked back into the kitchen as he ran up the steps. He stopped outside her door and hesitated. The polite thing to do was knock and wait for permission to enter, however he didn't really think she'd let him in if he did that. She had been pretty upset with him, after all. So, preparing for the worst, he gripped the handle and turned the metal object, slowly opening the door. He peeked in and saw her collapsed on her bed. She was still in her Princess Academy uniform, and she was hugging her pillow. Her eyes were closed, and he could see the tracks of dried tears on her cheeks. He grit his teeth against the pang in his heart the image brought him, and he cursed Gurenda all over again. He quietly entered, gently closing the door behind him, and he slowly walked over to her. He dropped to his knees and reached out, brushing some hair out of her face. A warm smile touched his lips, and he was momentarily lost in a daze. He knelt there, toying with her hair and watching her sleep, completely oblivious to the world around him. That is, until she woke up.

"Huh?" she muttered groggily. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him through sleep-clogged vision. Her eyes widened in realization and she bolted up, staring down at him with a frantic expression. "What are you doing here?!"

"You were upset," he said, "and I wasn't going to let you be upset by yourself."

"But I'm upset because of you!" she protested. "I don't want to see you right now!"

"No, you're upset because of Gurenda," he said. He sat down next to her, and she scooted away slightly. He sighed and shook his head. "Yucie…"

"I'm upset because of you!" she said. "You gave Gurenda the pills, Arc! Why would you do that, huh?! You know how much I…that is, how…"

"I know, your height upsets you," he said. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him. "Which is exactly why I'd never do something that stupid, Yucie. Gurenda was lying to you - she told me everything before I came after you. She thought it would be…funny, I guess…who knows with her mind. The point is, I didn't know about the pills until after you left."

"You're lying," she muttered dejectedly. Without another word, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers, catching her unawares in a powerful kiss. Her eyes slid closed, and she leaned into the kiss, against the protests of her mind. He pulled away a moment later and smiled at her.

"Would I lie to you, Forehead?" he asked. She frowned.

"Yes."

"About something like this? Especially when, if you found out I was lying, you'd leave me?" he asked. She bit her lip before shaking her head.

"No," she said. He smiled and nodded.

"Exactly," he said. He stood, pulling her up with him.

"Arc?" she asked, confused.

"C'mon, I want to show you something," he said. He led her to the doorframe where she had been recording her growth over the years. She looked at him, confusion marring her brown eyes, and he winked at her. After studying the marks for a minute, he put a finger against where the line had been stuck for seven years. He then put a finger against the highest line, and he grinned at her.

"I don't -"

"Get it? Really?" he asked. He frowned as he looked at the distance between his two fingers. "I thought it would be fairly obvious."

"I know how much I've grown, Arc," she said. "I mark it off every morning."

"So you know I wouldn't really need, or even want, to give you something that would help with your growth, right?" he asked. She blinked, and he smiled as he saw her face light in realization. Her mouth formed a tiny "o," he couldn't suppress the chuckle that came from him. He leaned against the wall and pulled her into a hug. He rested his chin on her head and began rubbing her back. "You can be such an idiot some times, Forehead. You're growing just fine on your own - you don't need any help."

"I'm sorry, Arc," she said, cuddling against him. He smiled and tilted her chin up, giving her a long, slow kiss.

"Don't worry about it," he said before once again claiming her lips for his own. A slight smile tinged his lips as he deepened the kiss; he didn't think he'd ever get tired of this, not even in a thousand years.

**A****.n.:** _Sorry this took so long, guys! I've been majorly bogged down with school work. I wanted to try to get this up before I started seriously diving into my children's story, though (my latest CW assignment). I would have had this up last weekend, but with all the birthday celebrations (I turned 16!), I really didn't have time to work on it. -sweatdrops- I'll get the next one out as soon as possible, but that may not be another week or two. ¡Lo ciento!_

_  
And on a side note…who else is seriously looking forward to spring break? -faints-_


	12. One Weakness

**Title**: "One Weakness"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #16 (invincible; unrivaled)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Gainax/Yucie Committee. Meg "tN!!" D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"One Weakness"**_

Yucie had no weaknesses. To Arc, she was absolutely perfect. She was beautiful, she was kind, she was determined, and she had a heart bigger than anyone else he knew. Even better, she was his. Well…not yet, but she would be, very soon. Really, the only thing that didn't link them was the wedding formalities, but they'd come in time.

A small smile curved his lips as he looked down the hill at her, where she was practicing her swordplay with Gurenda. She was holding her own fairly well, and he would even go as far as saying she was winning. Her face was turned in a look of extreme concentration, and he could see the sweat rolling down her brow. Gurenda was putting up quite the fight, but he knew she'd beat her. Yucie had gotten much better with her sword since the last time he had watched her, and it seemed that Gurenda just couldn't keep up.

His smile grew slightly as he watched the friends fight. Even if she was a master swordswoman, that wasn't what made her so invincible. Her heart was her biggest strength, as she had shown many times. She cared so much about people; she was willing to give everything to keep the people she loved safe. He had seen that much when she had become the Platina Princess.

When his mother had told him what had happened to Yucie and her friends, he had been glad Yucie's memories had been erased. He knew it would be better that way, if she couldn't remember her friends. They weren't going to come back, and he knew remembering them would only bring her pain. That was something he would never wish upon her. Yet when Cube had mentioned Gurenda, and he had seen the confusion that flickered across her face, he knew he had been wrong. That had only been strengthened as he continued to watch her and see the pained feeling that seemed to drape her like a cloak. She was lost, he knew, and it was killing her. When he had found her at the concert hall, and she had broken down on him, he swore that he would do whatever he could to help her regain those memories. Remembering and hurting would be better than hurting and having no idea why.

When she had found them, he had been surprised to see the affect the memories had on her. Instead of depressing her, like he thought they would, they had encouraged her. They had invoked that determined spirit that she was infamous for. She had sworn to Magazerent that she would find a way to revive her friends, no matter what. Why? Because they were her friends. Because she loved them.

Even when Magazerent told her it was impossible, she refused to give up. And, as unlikely as it seemed, she found a way. With her uncanny ability to care about every person she met, she had healed Magazerent's broken heart, and she had found her friends. He didn't remember what happened between the time they left the Magical World and the time he awoke to find Yucie sobbing in the arms of her friends, and he didn't really care. All he knew was Yucie was happy again, and everything seemed fixed - because of her. Because of that determined spirit and unbelievable heart that fueled everything she did.

It was no surprise she had become the Platina Princess.

He sat up, grinning as Yucie delivered the winning blow. She began jumping up and down, cheering her victory. Gurenda was sprawled on the ground, panting. It wasn't long before Gurenda was yelling at Yucie to be quiet, telling her that she had just been lucky. He shook his head, chuckling at her antics. She didn't look it, but she was the only person he knew who would never, ever loose.

"Oi, Yucie!" he called. "Can we go now?"

"Hai!" she called back, waving at him. She bid farewell to Gurenda before running up the hill, completely ignoring Gurenda's shouts and demands for a rematch. When she reached him, she grabbed his hands, pulling him up. He laughed and stood, once again shaking his head at how 'Yucie' she was being. He gave her a look, shaking his head as ruffled her hair, before he began walking down the path.

"Oi!" she cried indignantly, running to catch up with him. "What was that for, huh?"

"Nothing, Forehead," he said, grinning at her. She frowned at him, her confusion leaking into her eyes. He smiled and shrugged. "Just thinking about how much you've grown."

"Wha…?" she asked, still as confused as before. He waved it off.

"Never mind," he said. She nudged him, glaring.

"Tell me!" she whined. He sighed.

"Fine, fine," he said. "It just occurred to me that you have absolutely no weaknesses, that's all. You can't even be beaten in a swordfight anymore! Kind of unfair, don't you think? There's no way I could ever play dirty against you."

"You're wrong, Arc," she said. She took his hands in her own, spinning around to face him. "I have one very big weakness."

"Oh? And that would be?" he asked, giving her a somewhat defeated look. She giggled before she stood on her toes, placing her mouth next to his ear.

"You," she whispered before she leaned back, giving him a quick kiss before she pushed him back and ran off down the road, laughing hysterically. His grin returned as he shook his head and chased after her. He didn't think she would ever stop surprising him.

**A****.n.:** _Just something that popped into my head while watching a PPY AMV somebody made. Gah…it's awesome! One of the best I've seen yet, and it's not just 'cause it's PPY. ;P Anyway, in the video the person put in a clip of Yucie's little speech to Magazerent, and that inspired this._

_  
Hope y'all like! I have no idea when I'm gonna get the next one out…state tests start Thursday, and I was sick three days last week (meaning: got tons of makeup work). -wince-_


	13. Bad Mood

**Title**: "Bad Mood"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #12 (in a good mood)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Bad Mood"**_

Arc wasn't really in a very good mood. He wasn't to the point where he'd bite someone's head off if they just spoke to him, but he wasn't at the point where he'd wave it off with a smile, either. There really wasn't even any reason for his sour attitude. Today had just been one of those days, the ones that make you want to hate everything and everyone around you.

In an attempt to dispel the grumpiness that had settled over him, he had left the palace. His mother was one of the things that had been irritating him, so he saw this as a possible cure. However, he had been wandering around the wide streets for almost an hour, and he was still just as upset as he had been before he had left. To make matters worse, he had spotted Yucie and her friends heading towards him. As far as he could tell, they hadn't noticed him yet. Because he didn't want to do or say anything to upset her, he planned to walk right by her. Logically, his plan only had one flaw, that Yucie would see him, and wasn't it just like her to exploit it to hell and back?

"Arc!" she called when he had walked a few paces past her. He froze, the frown on his face tightening considerably.

'Damn,' he thought. He forced a smile onto his lips and turned, trying his best to look as carefree as possible. He wasn't entirely sure it worked, though, judging by the grin she gave her friends. The other girls began giggling as Gurenda winked and pushed her forward.

"We know, we know," the demon princess said, "you'll catch up."

"I'll be right back!" she said to them. She ran towards him, and the next thing he knew she had latched herself to his waist. Her arms wrapped around his midsection, and she was giving him a warm, tight hug. A soft smile curved his lips, and he shook his head. He could already feel his foul mood slipping away; it was official: you couldn't be upset around Yucie. It was just down-right impossible. Even if you wanted to be angry, her overly happy mood just rubbed off on you. She leaned back and looked up at him, giving him a smile that would light up a room. She tugged his hand, and he rolled his eyes as he kneeled down so he could be eye-level with her.

"Yeah?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"I love you, Arc," she said, winking at him. He blinked, confusion filling his face. She had stopped him just to tell him that? However, she was still grinning ear-to-ear, and he couldn't help but feel she was up to something.

"I knew that," he said. She giggled and shook her head. "What? You could have told me later."

"No, I couldn't have," she said. When the confusion refused to leave his face, she continued. "Kokoru said that if you love someone, you should tell them every day, regardless."

"Really?" he asked in bemusement. Hard as he tried, he couldn't hold on to that bad mood; her smiling face and simplistic logic evaporated every trace of it. A genuine smile formed on his lips, and she giggled again.

"Yep! You should tell them because you never know if you'll have a later, and you always want them to know," she said. She leaned closer to him once again, kissing his cheek before she whispered in his ear: "Besides, I also love seeing you smile."

He couldn't suppress the laugh that spurted from him at that statement, and he crushed her against him in a possessive, loving hug. It was just like her to do something like this. Though, he didn't really mind. He was glad that she had stopped him, even though he had planned to just ignore her. Somehow, she always made him feel better. He pushed her back slightly and smiled at her.

"Well, then, I love you too, Forehead," he said, returning her wink. She giggled again, a light blush spreading across her cheeks at the old name that used to aggravate her to no end. He leaned up and kissed the expanse that generated the nickname, and her giggles only increased.

"OI! BRAT!" he heard Gurenda call. He sighed, shaking his head. That girl would never change. "Are you coming or not?!"

"You better go," he said. She nodded.

"See you later?" she asked. He kissed her forehead again before nodding.

"See you later," he said. She gave him one more hug before running back to her friends. Gurenda and Beth immediately pounced on her, teasing her about the blush she wore. Erumina continued to walk alongside them as if nothing had happened, and Kokoru simply made her exasperated comments about her friends' antics. Once they were out of sight, he stood and began making his way back to the castle. He was definitely feeling much better now.

**A****.n.:** _Another one of those things that just popped into my head while listening to that AMV (I just love the song - it's just so Yucie!). (I wonder how many of you thought I was going against the theme because of the title? Heh heh!) 'Nyway, hope y'all enjoy!_


	14. Invitation

**Title**: "Invitation"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #2 (news; letter)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Invitation"**_

Arc yawned as he reached his hands high above his head, stretching out his spine as he fell back onto the warm grass. Above him was a vast blue sky; an occasional, wispy cloud broke the giant air sea, but for the most part it was nothing but endless blue. The sun shone brightly on the warm, spring afternoon, and a nearby tree cast some shade on him. However, he was not completely engulfed by its shadow; he was enjoying the feel of the warm sun on him, even if it was blocked by his white and blue shirt. His eyes slid closed, and a smile claimed his lips. There was only one thing that could make this perfect…

"Good afternoon!"

He cracked an eye open and glanced to his side, where Yucie had just plopped down (rather ungracefully, if he might add). She stretched out alongside him, and he grinned as he was once again forced to notice how much she had grown. She had finally stopped growing, and when her height had leveled off, she had come up to his chin. He couldn't help but think how it was the best height for her; she wasn't obnoxiously tall, but she wasn't too short, either. She was perfect. She turned her head towards him and smiled.

"What're you doing?" she asked. He shrugged and looked back up at the sky.

"I was thinking about taking a nap, but now I'm reconsidering it," he said. He glanced at her outfit, a modified version of the Princess Academy uniform (Erlsel had said it was necessary; the skirts were just too short now that the girls looked their true age). "Just get out?"

"Yeah," she said. She nudged his arm, scooting under it and cuddling against his side. He grinned and pulled her closer.

"You're almost done, aren't you?" he asked. She sat up suddenly, a look of remembrance upon her face.

"That's right!" she said. She began searching through her pockets, and a moment later she produced a cream-colored envelope. His name was written across the front in curvy script, and on the back was the official seal of the Princess Academy. She handed it to him with a smile. "I wanted to give this to you."

"What is it?" he asked, taking it from her. She smiled and shook her head.

"You have to open it," she said. He sighed and cast her a suspicious look.

"They didn't kick you out, did they?" he asked. A fierce blush stained her cheeks as she swatted his arm.

"Arc! That's mean! They did _not_ kick me out!" she said. He caught her wrist and tugged her back down, once again tucking her away under his arm. He reached around her and opened the envelope, his grin growing at her squirming.

"Good," he said, "because I can't marry you if you don't graduate. Mother said."

He ignored her blush and pulled out a card. He quirked a brow and cast her a fleeting look before he read through the short text. It was an invitation to her graduation ceremony, scheduled a week from then. He closed his eyes and put the card back in the envelope. He leaned his head back and tucked the invitation into a pocket. He could feel her watching him, and he knew she was waiting for an answer.

"A-Arc?" she asked hesitantly.

"So, it's finally time then?" he asked. He turned his head, opening his eyes to give her a large grin. She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "One week. Our final examinations finish up over the next three days, then we start preparations and rehearsals."

"I knew you could do it," he said. He rolled over onto his side, pinning her to the ground.

"Arc?" she asked, her face shifting to a deeper red. He ran a finger along the contour of her cheek, smiling softly at her.

"I'm proud of you, Forehead," he said. She smiled at him, tears glittering in her eyes.

"Thank you, Arc," she said. He leaned down, sealing her lips to his in a gentle kiss. She pressed herself against him, her smile growing slightly at his actions. He pulled away only when breathing became an issue, and even then he buried his head in the crook of her neck, refusing to let her go just yet.

"So, you'll be there?" she asked, somewhat nervously. She felt him kiss her neck, and a chill raced down her spine.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he said before resuming his assault on her neck. She grinned and kissed his cheek, smiling at him.

"You better not," she said, "or I just might have to reconsider marrying you."

"You wouldn't!" he said, leaning up to look her in the eye. She giggled and shook her head.

"No, I wouldn't," she said, giving him a chaste kiss, "but it's fun to tease."

"And you say I'm mean," he muttered.

"You are," she said. "Where else do you think I got it from?"

"I'm not answering that," he muttered, rolling onto his back. He pulled her on top of him, settling them both back into the grass. "I changed my mind. I do want to take that nap."

"Arc?"

"But you're taking it with me," he said, winking at her. She sighed and shook her head, laughing slightly at his antics.

"Baka," she whispered before she leaned against him, a soft smile on her face. He watched as she drifted off, and once he was sure she was asleep, he kissed her forehead.

"I really am proud of you, Yucie," he said. "I always have been."

He closed his eyes, and soon he had joined her in the world of dreams.

**A****.n.:** _Considered making this the proposal chap, 'cause it just would've been so perfect, but I already have that one planned out. ;P 'Nyway, just wanted to finish this one up before DSTPs start (had it started, but it festered… -.-') Hope y'all enjoyed!_


	15. Seeing Red

**Title**: "Seeing Red"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #19 (red)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Seeing Red"**_

Arc had never truly seen red before. He had been angry, yes, and he had even been down-right furious, but nothing had even enraged him so much that he actually saw red.

Until now.

His grip tightened on the man's collar, and he held him a little higher. The man was staring back at him through steely eyes, a cocky grin on his face. He wasn't even scared of him; did the bastard have any idea what he could do to him? To his side, Gurenda was comforting a sobbing Kokoru, and Frederik was scowling at the man he was dangling. When she wasn't offering words of solace to her distraught friend, Gurenda was shooting venomous glares at the man, as well. He briefly wondered if the man realized just how dead he was.

"What did you do to her?" he finally asked, his voice strained. It took all he had not to shred the man right then and there.

"She got in my way - stuck her nose where it didn't belong. Sos I taught her a lesson," the man said. His grin turned a tinge more malicious. "Serves 'er right, too, damn bitch. None of her business what I -"

"She was trying to save that poor kid!" Gurenda shouted. "You had no right to beat either of them! I'm a demon, and I even know that!"

"Do you have any idea why they took you to the palace?" Arc asked, looking back at the man. The man shrugged, albeit difficultly, and shook his head.

"Figgered she worked here or summin'," he said. "Servant girl. Won't be missed."

"You bastard!" Arc shouted as he shook him. "That girl in there - Yucie - is the Platina Princess! And in a month, she'll be my wife!"

"A princess marrying a guard? How -"

"I'm the prince of this country," Arc hissed, his eyes narrowing. The man's eyes widened, and for the first time since he had arrived Arc noticed a twinge of fear enter his gaze. "I -"

"Aero! What on earth are you doing?! Unhand that man!"

Arc's head snapped to the side to see his mother standing before the door. She looked appalled, and though Frederik tried to explain the situation, she would not let him. Arc shook his head and prepared to answer, yet before he could the doctor emerged from the adjoined room. He looked at him, his face anxious.

"Doctor?" Gurenda asked, standing. The old man sighed and shook his head.

"She's resting now," he said. He gave the prince an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, highness. I've done all I can, but the damage…I'm afraid it's up to her now."

"Can we see her?" Kokoru asked nervously. The doctor smiled softly at her.

"She needs her rest," he said. "However, I will allow one in at a time, as long as you're quiet." Arc's grip had loosened considerably on the man's collar. His face was pale, his eyes wide, and he looked like he would vomit any minute. Erlsel looked at him, confusion filling her blue eyes.

"A-Aero, what's -"

The man shoved Arc away, determined to have one last break for it. Before he could even move a step, though, Arc had captured his neck in an iron-fisted grip. He slammed him against the wall, crushing his windpipe. The man gasped for air, clawing at Arc's unrelenting hand, yet he froze when he saw the prince's narrowed glare. At that moment, the peasant honestly believed he was looking into the eyes of the devil himself.

"If she doesn't make it, I swear to God I will kill you myself," Arc hissed, his voice possessed of an unnatural calm and determination. "And even if she does, I'll still probably kill you just for doing this to her."

"You don't have the -" the man tried to gasp, yet Arc cut him off.

"The power? Yes, I do," he said. "Remember, I'm the prince, and even if I wasn't, there're a lot of people that care deeply for that girl. They'll let me." He dropped the man, cocking his fist back to deliver a powerful blow that forced the wind right out of him. The man fell to the ground, wheezing and bloody, and Arc turned to look at Frederik and Gurenda. "Frederik, take him to the dungeon. Gurenda, explain everything to my mother. I need to see Yucie."

"Right," Gurenda said as Frederik grabbed the man's collar and began dragging him from the room. He ignored the sobbing protests and howls of pain; as his prince had said, he cared a great deal for Lady Yucie, and he had no sympathy on this beast that had harmed her so.

Arc followed the doctor into the room, but he froze when he saw Yucie lying so still on the bed. Breathing became impossible, and could feel his whole body tremble. The doctor frowned sympathetically at the young man and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She's sleeping, highness," he said, "that's all."

Arc nodded mutely and walked over to her, sitting in the chair by her bedside. He reached out and brushed some stray hair from her bruised face, and he winced as his hand brushed against a particularly nasty purple welt on her cheek. He took her hand in his own and watched her, praying that she'd pull through. He was terrified to ask, but he knew he had to, so a moment later he spoke, catching the doctor's attention.

"W-what did…how bad…" he tried, yet he found himself unable to finish the simple question. Honestly, how hard was it to ask what the damage report was? The doctor sighed and nodded, understanding.

"Some broken ribs," he started. "A few bruises - most of them not as serious as that one on her face. Lots of cuts, some internal stuff…I don't want to go into too much detail, sir. It's not -"

"I understand," Arc said. He leaned his head down, pressing his forehead to her pale knuckles. "Oh, God…why wasn't I there? I'm supposed to keep her safe, damn it!"

"There was nothing you could have done, highness," the doctor tried. Arc shook his head.

"I should have done _something_," he said. The red that had been fleeing his vision began to return, clouding his mind in a train of irrational thought. "I promised Sir Gunberd I would keep her safe, and look at her! She's -"

"She will be fine, Prince!" the doctor said. Arc looked at him.

"But you said -"

"I know what I said, and I meant it," the elderly man said. He looked at Yucie, a frown on his face. "The damage is extensive, but I've come to know this child fairly well in the months since the princess selection. If anyone can pull through this, she can. On a side note…"

"Doctor?" Arc asked, looking at him in confusion. The old man smiled at him.

"I hope you do gut the bastard, if I may say so," he said. Arc couldn't help it; he leaned forward, laughing heartily at the doctor's comment. He nodded, and was opening his mouth to reply when he heard it: the faint whisper of his name, coming from the supposedly sleeping girl next to him. He turned quickly, watching as Yucie forced her eyes open. They were drooped and unfocused, and one wouldn't open at all because of the swelling. He leaned forward, gently brushing her hair out of her face.

"I'm here, Yucie," he said. She turned her head slightly, yet she winced at the effort and closed her clear eye, gasping for breath at the shooting pains that raced throughout her body.

"W-what…happened?" she asked quietly. "I-I…the boy…"

"He's fine, Yucie," Arc said. "Please, don't talk. You need to save your strength."

"F-fine? I'm glad," she whispered. She sank back farther into the mattress, groaning. "So tired…"

"Then sleep," he said. He kissed her hand, frowning deeply at the pained look on her face. It ripped out his heart, seeing her like this. He should have been there; it was his job to protect her. He should have been there.

"C-can't," she whispered. "Scared."

"I'll be right here with you, Yucie," he said. "You have nothing to be scared of."

"N-no," she said, just as quietly. "Scared of leaving."

"I said I wouldn't -" he started, confusion filling his face at her words.

"I-I don't want to l-leave, Arc," she whispered. "I-I don't want to leave y-you a-acci-accidental…ly…"

He bit his lip, silenced by her terrified words. He gripped her hand, fear sinking into his aqua eyes.

"Then don't," he said firmly. "Fight it, Yucie. I'll keep you anchored. Just hold on, please…please hold on…"

"Y-you're crying," she said, her eyebrows furrowing. He laughed bitterly.

"Of course I am, idiot," he said. "You're hurt. You expect me to be dancing?"

"I don't like you c-crying," she said. He leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Rest, Forehead," he said. "I promise I'll still be here when you wake up. I'm never leaving you again."

She nodded weakly and settled back into the blankets, a small smile on her face; it wasn't long before she was asleep. The doctor put a hand on Arc's shoulder, but he didn't look up at him.

"You can stay with her tonight, if you wish," he said. "I'm sure the others will understand."

"Thank you," Arc said. The doctor shook his head.

"Don't thank me," he said. "I just think it will be better for her if you do. Like you said, highness: you have to anchor her."

Arc gave him a weak smile and nodded. He turned back to Yucie as the doctor walked out of the room; he assumed the man was going to tell the others more details on Yucie's condition. He folded his arms on the bed next to her, his hand still possessively clutching her own, and laid his head down. He looked at Yucie's sleeping face and frowned.

'You better stay with me, Yucie,' he thought. 'I don't think I could handle loosing you again…'

-W-

Now, there were many times in Yucie's life that had caused her to see red. However, this one was topping the charts as one of the worst.

A month later, life was, for the most part, back to normal. Her attacker had been executed (much to her friends' relief, yet the thought made her queasy), she was healed, and she was married. She was currently standing next to Arc before their wedding cake, where they were supposed to do the traditional 'you feed me, I'll feed you' thing. Arc was doubled over laughing, as were the portion of their guests that were close friends or family of theirs. The people who were basically just there for political show, however, were muttering over the prince's uncouth actions.

Yucie stood, clad in a beautiful gown, her hair tied back in an elaborate set of curls and pins, with yellow cake dripping down her obnoxiously large forehead. She forced a smile and took a napkin, wiping the sticky substance away. Without a word, she took the piece of cake she had set aside to give him and slammed it onto his forehead, smearing it into his otherwise shiny, clean hair. He stopped laughing, blinking at her in astonishment while the laughter around them increased tenfold. He could hear Gurenda shouting: "You go, brat! Show him who's boss!" He grinned and caught his new wife about the waist, pulling her close to him.

"Well, Forehead, I didn't know you had it in you," he said. She smirked at him.

"I learned from the best," she said. He laughed again, shaking his head at her reply. He leaned down, giving her a brief kiss that tasted of icing.

"You're cleaning it," he said. He wiped a blob of icing off her nose and licked his finger, grinning. He then looked at the group around them. "That's a pretty good cake. You all might want to try some."

Off to the side, Erlsel sighed and placed her head in her palm while more laughter burst from the crowd.

"I doubt my son will ever grow up," she said. Gunberd, who was standing next to her, chuckled.

"At least they're happy," he said.

"Yes," Erlsel said, nodding. "At least they're happy."

After everyone had their cake, Arc sat under a tree with Yucie on his lap. She had a small bowl of water and some towels next to her, and she was busy cleaning his hair. He couldn't help but grin at her.

"I told you you'd be cleaning it," he said.

"You started it," she huffed.

"Only 'cause I love teasing you," he replied. She rolled her eyes and scrubbed out the last little bit of frosting.

"There, done," she said. He took the towel from her, rinsed it in the bowl, and began wiping off her forehead.

"Now let's take care of you," he said.

"I already got it," she said.

"Not all of it," he told her. He smiled at her. "Besides, it's my job to take care of you now. That includes keeping cake off that large forehead of yours."

"But you were the one who…hey!" she cried. A tiny bit of red once again seeped into her vision, yet it was swept away by the wave of emotion that overcame her when he pulled her close, crashing his lips against her own in a passionate kiss. She melted against him, marveling at how he always made her swoon. He pulled away a moment later, and her words completely failed her.

"I love you, Yucie," he said. He put a hand against her ribs, smiling softly at her. "Thanks for not leaving me behind again."

"I'm never going to leave you, Arc," she said, realizing what he was talking about. She took his hand in her own and placed it against her heart. "As long as you hold this, I'll never be able to leave you."

He smiled and pulled her back against him, once again sweeping her up in a mind-numbing kiss.

'Then I'm never letting go,' he thought, brushing his thumb over the exposed skin that covered her heart. She shivered in his arms, and he deepened the kiss. 'I'm never, ever letting go.'

**A****.n.:** _A wee bit lost on how to do "red", and then the image of Arc beating some guy into a bloody pulp came into my head. AND! I said I'd never kill her again, and I didn't! Happy ending, see? SEE??? (Shii-chanchick,_ please _don't kill me! -cowers-)_

Fun little side note: I just noticed another PM characteristic PPY follows. Y'know the whole "character from a previous game shows up" thing? Magazerent is Maria (PM1)! Was looking through KitKat's Princess Maker Corner earlier, and I just noticed it. -sweatdrop-


	16. Ten Hours

**Title:** "Ten Hours"  
**Author:** Wish Wielder  
**Pairing:** Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom:** Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme:** #10 (#10)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Ten Hours"**_

**Hour 1**

**  
**"Hey, c'mon!" Gurenda called, waving to her four friends. "We're almost at the top!"

"Gurenda!" Yucie whined. "We've been climbing this mountain all morning! Can we please just take a five minute break?"

"I agree with Yucie, Gurenda," Erumina called. "Continuing at this pace is not only unhealthy but dangerous as well. We should rest."

"But -" Gurenda tried, yet this time Beth cut her off.

"Face it, Gurenda!" the Faerie princess shouted. "Your 'almost at the top' means half-way to us! We're tired, and we demand a break!"

"I'm not stopping!" Gurenda called. "What's the point of climbing this if you can't climb it all the way?! Don't be so lazy! Let's go!"

"Guren-"

"WE'RE GOING NOW!" Gurenda screamed. Her friends began to hike up to the ledge she was on, yet they froze as a rumbling sounded from somewhere nearby. They looked around, searching for the noise, when Gurenda's next shout brought their attention to the peak. A wave of show was rushing down the side of the mountain, speeding to meet them.

"Everybody, to that cave!" Beth cried, pointing to a cave a short distance from where Gurenda was standing. An urgency filled the blood of the five princesses, and they just barely made it into the stone structure. As soon as Beth and Yucie pulled Kokoru to safety, a curtain of white veiled their vision from the outside world. Shouts of surprise escaped Yucie and Beth as they rushed away from the snow that spilled into their refuge. Yucie gulped as she stared at the pristine wall.

"Oh gods..." she breathed. "We're trapped..."

**Hour 2**

"I think I got something!" Gurenda said ecstatically. Her friends looked up at her from their separate parts of the cave. Yucie, Kokoru, and Beth were huddled together against one side of the wall, all three sharing a blanket Beth had stashed in her bag. Erumina and Gurenda were on the other side of the cave, yet they were at least a meter apart. Erumina was curled up in a blanket, glaring at her demon friend, who had been trying to call for help for the better half of the past hour. A small fire crackled and popped in the center of the circular cave; it barely gave off enough light, and the heat it spread was almost non-existent.

"Dad! Can you hear me?" Gurenda asked. A large sphere formed over the fire, and inside it's area the face of the Demon King appeared.

"Gurenda, darling!" he said. "What's wrong?"

"Dad! Thank goodness!" Gurenda said, sighing. "I've been trying to reach you for an hour!"

"I was wondering what...never mind, dear," he said. "Now, what happened?"

"Gurenda caused an avalanche," Beth said, spite dripping from her voice.

"We're trapped in a cave!" Yucie added.

"WHAT?!" the Demon King cried. "Are you girls all right? Is anyone hurt? Gurenda, darling, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, dad!" Gurenda said. "We need you to come get us, though. I was going to try to melt the snow, but if I was afraid that if I did the snow wouldn't melt fast enough and the water would drown us."

"You're a smart girl, Gurenda," the Demon King said. "Hang on, all right? I'll get help, and we'll be there soon. Where on the mountain are you?"

"About half-way up," Kokoru said. "But...that's about all the help we can give you."

"Yes," Erumina said. "We do not know how much snow fell, and therefore we do not know if the landscape was completely covered or not."

"I see," the Demon King said. "I'll be there with help shortly. Don't worry, girls. We'll find you."

The image of Gurenda's father faded, and the five settled back in their blankets to wait. Yucie glanced at the white wall blocking them from freedom; she bit her lip and looked down, tears welling in her eyes.

'Please,' she silently prayed, 'let us get through this. Let me see Arc again...'

**Hour 3**

Yucie glanced at her friends; most of them had fallen asleep. Gurenda and Erumina had resigned themselves to a glaring contest, but Beth and Kokoru were currently sleeping peacefully. She sighed and looked back to the trapping snow. It was almost like she was being punished; the previous night, she had had a fight with Arc, so when she had left for the hiking trip with her friends, she hadn't said goodbye to him. She remembered how he had grabbed her from behind, twirling her around to bring her into a warm hug. She remembered how he had gone to kiss her, to wish her a safe trip, but she had turned her head and pushed him away. She had been too upset with him, but now...now she just wanted to go back to this morning, to kiss him for as long as he wanted. She wanted to be back in the safety of his arms instead of huddled in a flimsy blanket with her friends.

"Hey, Yucie," Gurenda called, "are you still up?"

"Yes, Gurenda," she said bitterly.

"You're still mad..." her friend said, almost sadly.

"Of course I'm still mad!" Yucie said. "I could be home right now, not in some stupid cave!"

"Ok," Gurenda said. "I'll leave you alone, then."

"Good," she said angrily. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

**Hour 4**

Yucie groaned and put a hand to her head, looking away from the center of the cave, where Gurenda was doing something with the fire. She wasn't entirely sure what Gurenda was doing, but whatever it was making her extremely nauseous. She was making little patterns in the light, dancing figments that twisted and twirled with a graceful agility only granted to spectres. She bit her lip, trying hard to ignore the pressing nausea. Kokoru looked at her, concerned, and pressed a hand to her arm.

"Miss Yucie? Are you all right?" she asked. Yucie gave her a weak smile, nodding.

"Sure thing," she said. "I-I'm fine."

"You don't look it," Beth said. "You're really pale, and you look like you're gonna - woah!"

Beth and Kokoru jerked back as Yucie shot up and ran to a far corner in the back of the cave. The sound of retching could be heard moments later, followed by a splash that turned the stomachs of the rest of them. Beth and Kokoru exchanged worried looks before Kokoru stood and made her way to where Yucie was depositing the remains of her breakfast.

"Miss Yucie?" she asked. Yucie stood there, doubled over, gasping for breath. Kokoru took a step closer, but Yucie held up a hand.

"Q-Queen Erlsel said this is normal," she said. "I-I'll be fine. J-just give me a minute."

"Normal?" Gurenda echoed. "It's normal to randomly puke your guts out?"

"No," Yucie said. "I...oh gods, I can't think..."

"Yucie?" Beth asked, standing. Yucie closed her eyes, trying to sort out the thoughts from her swimming head. She was so tired, and she felt completely horrible. Before she realized what was happening, she was falling backwards. She felt someone catch her before her world went black.

**Hour 5**

_"Are you sure you want to go on this trip, Yucie?" Erlsel asked. She looked at the girl with concerned eyes, but Yucie just smiled and nodded. "Absolutely positive? It's not exactly the safest thing to do in your condition."_

_  
Yucie looked across the hall and out the large window, which overlooked the palace gates. She saw Arc leaning against the gate, conversing with a guard. She smiled softly and nodded again, her resolve strengthened._

_  
"I'll be fine," she said._

_  
"But Aero…" Erlsel pressed, worry creasing her brow. Yucie smiled slightly at her mother-in-law; a fine wrinkle had creased itself over the older woman's forehead, and Yucie partially blamed herself for that. The wrinkle had appeared during the trials of the Puchi Puri, and had solidified itself during Arc's illness and the final test. Yucie couldn't help but feel guilty for both accounts._

_  
"I'll tell him when I get back," she said. She placed a hand over her flat stomach, her smile warming considerably. "I don't really like leaving mad at him, but I'm not apologizing first. He started it, so he needs to finish it."_

_  
"Yucie…" Erlsel sighed. Yucie grinned at her._

_  
"We'll be fine!" she said. "I know a hiking trip probably isn't the smartest thing to do when you're pregnant, but I'm still early on, and what's the worst that could -"_

_  
"Don't say it!" Erlsel said, clamping a hand over Yucie's mouth. She frowned at the young woman's confused gaze. "Do you really want to jinx yourself?"_

_  
"I-I guess not," Yucie said once Erlsel had removed her hand. She sighed and gave the woman a hug. "I'll be safe, I promise. See you in a few days?"_

_  
"Of course," Erlsel said, nodding. "Just be careful! I don't want anything happening to you or my grandchild!"_

_  
"I'll do my best!" she said, winking at the queen before running off._

_  
_Yucie stirred slightly, her eyes slowly opening to a dim world. She looked around and saw Gurenda and Beth bickering by the fire. She winced as she felt a damp mass drop against her forehead, and she looked up to see Kokoru wringing a cloth out over a small bucket of water. The Spirit World princess gave her a small smile.

"Are you feeling better, Miss Yucie?" Kokoru asked. Yucie smiled slightly.

"Are you ever going to just call me Yucie, Kokoru?" she asked. Kokoru smiled and shook her head.

"Probably not," she said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Only a little," she said. She sighed and closed her eyes, another wave of nausea hitting her. "I just want to sleep right now…"

"Then sleep," Kokoru said. "We'll wake you up when help arrives."

"Thank you," Yucie said quietly before drifting off to sleep.

**Hour 6  
**

"Hey, brat! You alive yet?"

Yucie looked up at Gurenda, who was sitting over the fire, which had grown considerably since it had first been made. Gurenda was holding a small pot over it, yet it seemed all the demon's attention was focused on her. She sighed and sat up, nodding. Her stomach felt much calmer now, but she had no idea how long that would last. The first bought of illness - the one that had made Erlsel send her to the doctor, the one that had let her know she was pregnant - had lasted almost an entire week. She didn't really want to know how long this one could last, but for now it seemed it was over, and she wasn't about to complain.

"Good," Gurenda said. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Yucie said. It was a lie, and she knew it, but she really didn't want to try food right now. Gurenda shrugged and went back to the small pot, muttering about random annoyances and how long their rescue party was taking.

"Are you sure you're all right, Miss Yucie?" Kokoru asked. Yucie nodded and smiled at the girl.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said. "I just really want to get out of here!"

Kokoru laughed and nodded before joining the others at the fire for some food. Yucie sighed and looked at the snow.

'Please hurry…'

**Hour 7**

"We're not getting out of here, are we?" Yucie asked dejectedly after yet another hour had passed. She was once again huddled in the blanket with Kokoru and Beth, yet now Gurenda and Erumina were next to them, also sharing a blanket. Gurenda, who was sitting on her other side, gave her a harsh look.

"What do you mean, 'we aren't getting out of here?'" she asked. "Of course we're getting out of here! My father's already looking for us, and -"

"The avalanche probably covered up any sign of where the middle of the mountain is," Yucie said. "We could be here for weeks, and by then we'll be dead."

"We have enough food to last for a while," Beth said.

"That doesn't mean anything. We could freeze to death long before we'll starve to death," Yucie said.

"But we have a fire -" Gurenda started.

"Fires go out," Yucie said. Gurenda clenched her teeth and prepared to scream her head off at her friend, yet before she could Erumina reached around her and put a hand on Yucie's shoulder.

"Yucie, please tell us what is wrong," she said. Yucie looked at her, confused, and Erumina frowned. "You are not acting yourself. Please tell us what has happened."

"I'm acting myself!" Yucie said.

"No, you're not," Kokoru said. "You never give up on anything. Why have you given up on the search party?"

"Because they're not coming!" Yucie said. "We've been here for hours, guys! Shouldn't they have found us by now?"

Gurenda went to respond, but Yucie let out a defeated groan and buried her head in her knees. With a shaking voice, she continued.

"I'm being punished, I know I am," she said. Her friends let her continue, unsure of her meaning or where she would take this. "Because I came on this trip when I knew I shouldn't have, and because I left without saying goodbye to Arc…because I didn't tell him about the baby, because -"

"WOAH!" Gurenda shouted, shaking her head furiously. "Baby? What baby?!"

"Our baby," she said. "His baby…the one I'm carrying right now."

"Miss Yucie, are you…?" Kokoru asked, her eyes wide. Yucie smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, but I didn't tell him," she said. She sighed and shook her head. "I tried, but he was being so stupid, and he wouldn't let me say anything…then we started fighting, and I was still so mad when I left…"

"We're gonna get out of this, brat," Gurenda said, pulling Yucie into a hug. "And you're gonna have that kid, and then we'll have another annoying brat running around. She'll probably have your annoying forehead, too, and won't that make your stupid prince happy?"

"Gurenda…" Yucie said, sighing. Gurenda winked at her.

"Wanna know another reason we're getting out?" she asked. Yucie rolled her eyes and nodded.

"We're gonna be aunties now," she said. "And I wanna see my niece!"

"But what if it's a boy?" Beth asked, grinning.

"Then I wanna see my nephew!" Gurenda said. Yucie laughed, wiping the tears that she hadn't realized she'd cried from her eyes.

"You guys…" she said. The next thing she knew she was lost in a pile of hugs, and her hopes rose - just a little.

**Hour 8**

"Hey! Can anybody hear me?! Wake up!!!"

Yucie cracked open an eye and looked up to the fire, where a bright sphere was hovering. Beth sprang from the wall and scrambled over to the fire, nodding fervently at the image of Cube reflected in the sphere.

"We're here!" she said.

"Thank goodness!" Cube said. "I've been trying to reach you for almost an hour!"

"What's going on, Cube?" Yucie asked as she walked over to Beth. Cube looked down at her and nearly cried in his joy.

"Lady Yucie!" he shouted. "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"We're all fine," Beth said. Yucie nodded, and Cube sighed.

"That's good," he said. "I received a message from the Demon King earlier, and I've been trying to reach you guys ever since. He said they've cleared away most of the snow, and they should be there very soon. Have they reached you yet?"

"Would we be talking to you if they had?" Beth asked dourly. Cube sighed and shook his head.

"I guess not…" he said. Beth sighed and looked off to the entrance of the cave.

"Who's with him? Who's part of the rescue team?" she asked.

"The Faerie King, Drago-sama, and Mr. Arc," he said. Yucie looked up, shock filling her face. "I would've been with them, but they made me stay -"

"Arc's with them?!" she asked. She sat back, her eyes wide in shock, as Cube nodded.

"Yes," he said. "He was a mess when he came to get Drago-sama and me…he's really worried about you, Lady Yucie."

"I can't believe that," Yucie said, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I…I was so horrible to him…"

"Hey now, Yucie," Beth said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "don't go getting all emotional on us. I know it's kinda hard not too, with the baby and all, but -"

"BABY?!" Cube shrieked. Yucie sweatdropped at his outburst.

"Um…yeah, baby," she said. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Don't tell papa or Arc?"

"I won't, but…wow…congratulations, Lady Yucie!" Cube said.

"Th-thanks, Cube," she said. Her face turned serious a moment later, and he frowned. "They'll be here soon though, right?"

"Right!" he said. "And that was what they said an hour ago!"

**Hour 9**

"An hour ago, huh?" Beth asked bleakly.

"C-C'mon, I'm sure they'll be here soon," Yucie said. Beth sighed and looked at their friends. The others had been sleeping for the past two hours, but she had been unable to. After the excitement of Yucie's announcement, she had been too wired to sleep, and then she had just been too scared.

"No, they won't," she said. "I'm beginning to think you were right when you said we'd die here."

"No I wasn't!" Yucie said. Beth glared at her.

"Yes, you were!" she shouted. "Why aren't they here yet, Yucie?! We're never getting out of this cave! They're not gonna find us, and we're going to die here!"

"Don't say that!" Yucie said, shaking her head. "Please, don't say that!"

"And why not?!" Beth snapped.

"B-because, if you say it, it might come true," Yucie said weakly. She hugged her abdomen, leaning forward in defeat. "I don't want it to. So please, don't say it."

"Yucie…" Beth sighed and looked back to the flames. "I don't want it to come true, either, but face it. It's been how long since we've been stuck in here? Like you said: shouldn't they have found us by now?"

"I don't know," Yucie said. "I don't know what's keeping them, but I don't want to give up hope. Arc's with them, and your dad, too. And Gurenda's dad! Do you really think they'd give up on finding us?"

"They'll find us when we're frozen dead," Beth muttered distastefully. Yucie sighed and wrapped her arms around her, giving her friend a comforting hug.

"They'll find us, Beth," she said. "I just know they will."

**Hour 10**

Yucie looked up from the water she had just been drinking as a loud crash sounded from behind her, towards the entrance of the cave. She turned, staring at the body that had just fallen into the cave. The person sat up, rubbing his head, before he looked up. His eyes locked with hers, and a relieved breath left him before he looked up into the light spilling from the hole he had fallen through.

"Hey, I found them!" Arc called. Beth turned around, squinting at the sudden brightness that flooded the cave.

"Is that…?" she started.

"Arc!" Yucie cried, cutting her off. She scrambled to her feet and ran over to him, dropping to her knees beside him to pull him into a tight hug. "You found us!"

"Of course we did, Forehead!" he said, returning her hug. "Did you really think we wouldn't?"

"N-no," she said. "Of course not!"

"Aero! Move to the back of the cave, and keep the girls there!" the Demon King called. "Drago, we'll melt this snow, and you go down there and make a barrier to keep the runoff from flooding the cave!"

A moment later, Beth's father dropped into the cave. Beth gave a shout and ran over to him, and after a quick hug he nodded to Arc.

"Get them back, Aero," he said. Arc nodded and took them to the back of the cave. Beth immediately began waking the others, yet Yucie wouldn't let go of Arc.

"Yucie, we need to wake them up," he said. She shook her head, squeezing him tighter.

"Beth can," she said. "You…I need to apologize."

"Mother said you said I had to first," he said, grinning. She shook her head.

"I don't care anymore," she said. "I was so scared I wasn't going to see you again, Arc. And…I felt so guilty. I didn't say goodbye to you, and it was all because of that stupid fight. I never should've gotten angry at you, either. Queen Erlsel said that it's normal to have major moodswings, but that's no excuse! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean -"

"You're what?" he asked. She winced, slowly looking up to meet his startled gaze.

"I'm…pregnant?" she ventured hesitantly. She heard Beth groan and looked at her friend.

"Did you just let it slip again?" she asked. Yucie nodded miserably, and Beth shook her head sadly. "I'm really glad I don't have any secrets that you know, Yucie. You'd never be able to keep them!"

"Well I'm sorry! Queen Erlsel's the only one who's known for three weeks, and do you have any idea how hard it is keeping that kind of a secret?!" she asked.

"Wait…three weeks? You've known for three weeks and you didn't tell me?" Arc asked. She looked back at him, and she bit her lip when she saw his hurt look.

"I wanted to, but I never found the right moment," she said. "And then I was going to tell you last night -"

"Two nights ago, actually," he said.

"Fine, fine - the other night. I was going to tell you then, but then you were being so stupid, and we started fighting, and then I was just too mad to tell you," she said. He sighed and wrapped her up in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was stupid, wasn't I?"

"Yeah," she said. He grinned.

"So you found out when I was on that trip?" he asked, and she nodded.

"I was really sick, and Queen Erlsel wanted me to see the doctor. He said the only thing wrong with me was that I was pregnant," she said, laughing. Arc laughed and shook his head, grinning like a madman.

"Whatever is the matter, Prince?"

They looked up to see that the snow had given way to a clear red sky, and the rest of their rescue party was standing inside the entrance. Drago had his head sticking in through the opening, and he was looking at Arc with a curious expression. His answer was delayed as the Demon King gave a cheer as he rushed towards Gurenda, who was yelling at Beth for waking her up. Drago sighed and looked at the Demon King and Gurenda, shouting at them to be quiet and let Arc answer. Arc looked at Yucie, grinning as he pulled her onto his lap.

"Wanna tell them?" he asked. She nodded excitedly before looking at Drago.

"Drago-sama, I'm gonna have a baby!" she said.

"We're gonna have a baby," Arc corrected, giving her a gentle squeeze. She giggled and nodded, looping her arms around his neck.

"Yeah, we are," she said.

"That's wonderful, Yucie! I assume Gunberd doesn't know yet?" Drago asked. At the shake of her head, he laughed and nodded. "All right, then. I won't tell him. He'll be very happy to hear it, though."

"Can we just get out of here?" Gurenda asked as she finally shook off her father. Kokoru nodded.

"Yes, it would be nice to be somewhere a little warmer," she said. Yucie nodded.

"Yeah, I really wanna get home," she said. Arc gave her a chaste kiss, nodding as he pulled away.

"Then let's get you girls out of here," he said. He scooped Yucie up and led the way out of the cave, much to her embarrassment, and plopped her down on Drago's back. Once the others had joined them, the old dragon began flying back towards the Demon King's palace.

"Arc?" Yucie asked, once everyone had settled into their own little conversations. He looked down at her.

"Yeah?" he asked. She buried her face in his shirt, smiling warmly at him.

"Thanks for finding us," she said. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"You know you're not leaving the palace for a long time after this, right?" he asked. She jerked back, glaring at him.

"What?!" she asked. He nodded, his face dead serious.

"I would prefer it until the baby's born, but knowing you that'll be impossible," he said. "So I say about three weeks. Seems fair, since that's how long you kept this from me."

"Arc!" she whined. "That's unfair!"

"And going on this trip, knowing how dangerous it was for a normal person, being pregnant…man, you were just asking for it, Forehead!" he said. "Maybe I should make it longer than three weeks. After all, that is m-"

"ARC!" she cried, fury filling her gaze. "You will not keep me under house arrest, you hear?!"

"Oh, I'm fairly sure I can," he said, grinning. "In fact, I may just not let go of you at all. You aren't going anywhere, Forehead." He tightened his grip on her waist, and she immediately began squirming.

"Arc! Let me go, you big jerk! Let go of me!" she cried.

"That's enough of that!" Drago said, turning his head to give them a look. Arc laughed, nodding at his elder.

"Sure thing, Drago-sama!" he said. Once Yucie had settled down, he leaned his head on her shoulder and smirked at her. "See what you did now, Forehead? You made Drago-sama yell at us."

"THAT WAS YOUR FAULT!" she screamed. A short distance away, Beth sighed and looked at Kokoru, who looked nervous.

"Think they'll ever grow out of that?" she asked. Kokoru laughed and shook her head.

"No, I'm afraid not," she said. "But they love each other very much, so I wouldn't worry about it."

"Oh, it's not them I'm worried about," Beth said, grinning at the couple. Kokoru laughed and leaned back, looking up at the red sky. Yes, there really was nothing to worry about. She winced as she heard a loud "OW!" come from Arc, followed by another warning from Drago.

At least, she hoped there was nothing to worry about.

**A****.n.:** _So sorry this is so late, guys! I made it one day before my one-month mark (in lack of updates, that is). School's been absolutely beastly, but I'm hoping now that I'm on Easter vacation I can get some of this work done. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll have these finished before I go back! …don't count on it…_

Recent discovery I made: there's a PPY category up at MediaMiner. Two stories in it, but I'm thinking of posting these there, as well. I found out how to suggest a category, so the PPY category's been suggested here - we just need to see if it'll be made. Here's to hoping!

I got two more of these that're almost done, so I'm hoping to have them up tomorrow. Hopefully. -wince-


	17. He Laughed

**Title**: "He Laughed"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #25 (fence)  
**Disclaimer**: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"He Laughed"**_

The only thing that separated him from her was the fence between them, but he knew if he even tried to cross it she would kill him. He had come with every intention of apologizing - again - but she wouldn't let him. She moved around the yard on the other side of the fence, making sure that she didn't come anywhere near him, assembling a snowman. She was bundled up to block out the chill, and her hair was stuffed under a bulky hat that sat on her head - every last strand of it. He frowned at this, but said nothing. He had said nothing for the entire hour he had been standing there, save a "hello" when he had first arrived. She had sent him a venomous glare when he had done that, so, realizing she was still beyond mad at him, he remained silent.

It was a bit much, though. Surely she couldn't still be that angry at him, right? It had been an entire week! He didn't like it; he wasn't used to not talking to her. Sure, she had been mad at him before, but at least then she would yell at him. She had completely given him the cold shoulder this time, though, and he really didn't like it.

"Yucie, will you please say something? Anything?" he asked. She fixed her glare on him again, and he sighed. With a nod, he hopped over the fence and began walking towards her. She was kneeling by the partially-assembled snowman, rolling together another clod of snow to use as its head. When she heard the crunching of his boots against the crisp snow, she looked up. A spark of shock flitted through her eyes, but she did well to hide it.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked. He came to a stop next to the snowman and looked down at her, a perplexed look on his face. He knelt down before her and rested an arm on his knee, looking at the snowman and then back at her.

"You wouldn't talk to me, so I thought I'd come over here and…well…stand around until you did," he said. He really had no idea what he had been doing walking over, but he couldn't let her know that. Her annoyed look told him she hadn't believed him, though.

"You were just standing around over there, and I wasn't talking to you then," she said. He grinned at her.

"But you're talking to me now," he said.

"Not anymore," she said, and she went back to rolling the snow into a somewhat-rounded shape. He reached out, placing his hand over hers.

"Yucie, please," he said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did, I'll admit that, but you can't stay mad at me. It's been a week!"

"And it's still not fixed yet, so it'll be another week until I forgive you," she said curtly. He groaned and slapped his forehead.

"Yucie!" he whined in exasperation. She looked at him, her annoyance showing clearly in her eyes, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Would you please forgive me? I promise I won't laugh again."

"Who says there's going to be an again?" Yucie asked hotly. He held up a hand and nodded, hoping to deter the fresh bought of rage he saw taking over her. "I haven't even talked to Gurenda since this happened, and she's my sparring partner at school!"

"You're really upset about this, aren't you?" he asked. She glared at him.

"Of course I am," she said. "Why wouldn't I be? My hair's -"

"Going to be back to normal very soon," he said. "The teacher said so."

"You still shouldn't have laughed at me," she said after a moment of silence. He sighed and shoved a hand through his hair. He was beginning to think she would never forgive him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have laughed. It really didn't look that bad, Yucie. I was just surprised. It was…different. But your hair will be its normal color again soon, so -"

"But it isn't yet!" she said angrily. He looked at her, a brow raised in concern.

"How much orange is left in it?" he asked. She reached up to remove the hat, yet her hand hesitated.

"Y-you're going to laugh again," she said. He shook his head solemnly.

"I promise I won't," he said. She lowered her hand and shook her head.

"You will," she said. "It's still splotchy."

He sighed and looked her over. A week ago, during the apothecary potions class the academy required its students to take, Gurenda had had a slight accident. She had confused some of the ingredients, and one explosion later Yucie, who had been working with Kokoru next to her, was covered in the problematic goop. Gurenda had rushed her to the washroom, and it didn't take long to see the consequences of Gurenda's mistake. Yucie's hair had gone from its deep blue color to a vibrant orange, much to her horror. Needless to say, she had been furious at Gurenda. After examining the ingredients used, the instructor had assured her that the color would wash out in a week, but she had still refused to speak with Gurenda. He had been waiting by the gates of the school for her at the end of the day, as he usually did, and that had really been the last time, before this, that she had said anything to him. She had come out of the gates with Kokoru, Erumina, and Beth (Gurenda had been stuck in detention), and he remembered she had been crying. Before he could ask what had happened, though, he had seen her hair, and he couldn't stop himself: he laughed. Loudly, too, and she had given him one seething glare before she rushed off, her sobs intensifying tenfold. After her friends had filled him in, he had gone to her home, hoping to apologize, but she wouldn't even see him. He had tried many times after that to apologize, but each time she wouldn't listen.

At least now she was talking to him, and from the looks of things he was hoping this meant she forgave him. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, and a small smile curved her lips. He grinned at her. 

"You forgive me now?" he asked. She nodded.

"Just don't laugh again," she said. He glanced up at the hat, a curious smile planting itself on his face.

"Promise I won't. How bad is it now, anyway?" he asked, reaching to snatch the hat off her head.

"Arc, no!" she said, grasping for his hands. He beat her to the hat, and he yanked it off. A wave of blue and orange rushed down her back, gleaming in the afternoon sun. He blinked for a moment and bit his lip. He had promised he wouldn't laugh. He had promised.

He couldn't help it; he fell back, clutching his gut as tears leaked out of his eyes.

"Arc!!!" she shouted as she punched him. "Stop it!!! You promised, you big jerk! ARC!!!"

That was the day Arc had learned to never make promises he couldn't keep.

**A****.n.:** _I totally blame the plunnies for this. I died my hair about a week ago (er…re-dyed, I should say), and they laughed at how bright it was (my natural color's kind of a chestnut brown, and I streaked it fuchsia - or, as my mum calls it, "Kool-Aid")._

Don't y'all just love the plunnies? -sweatdrop-


	18. The 'Worse'

**Title:** "The 'Worse'"  
**Author:** Wish Wielder  
**Pairing:** Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom:** Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme:** #13 (excessive chain)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

**Note:** This sorta…ok…definitely continues from Theme #10 ("Ten Hours"). And I swear I'm not copying CLAMP with my title…oh, heavens, no… -whistles innocently-

_**"The 'Worse'"**_

Yucie smiled as she pulled the warm blanket closer to her. After spending ten hours in that freezing cave, she didn't think she'd ever want to leave her warm bed. Of course, it wasn't as warm as it could have been (curse Arc for getting up early - or maybe it was she was getting up late?), but it was still warmer than that cave. It was much more comfortable, too. Her head sank back in her pillow as a dreamy sigh escaped her. She knew it had to be getting late; the sun leaking through the windows was extremely warm, but that only served to make her want to sleep longer. The memory that she was supposed to visit her father today came to her, and with a heavy sigh she pushed the blankets off. An immediate chill grasped her, and she looked up to see that Arc had left the window directly across from her open. Whatever had possessed him to do that was beyond her, and with a slight growl she prowled over to the window and closed it, blocking the winter breeze from reaching her again. Sometimes she really questioned her husband's sanity.

After a rather long shower, which was close to scalding for most of the hour she was in the washroom, she quickly changed and readied herself for the trip to her father's. She couldn't help but grin as she looked at herself in the mirror; if the ladies of the court saw her on her way out of the palace, she was fairly sure most of them would faint on the spot. Her outfit consisted of a long, long-sleeved, tan tunic over a pair of brown slacks and a pair of knee-length, brown riding boots. A thick tan cloak was draped over a nearby chair, and she looked nothing like the princess she was. Yes, she thought with a giggle, the ladies of the court would most definitely faint.

She turned away from the mirror and gave the clock a quick look; it was almost a quarter after noon. She nodded, deciding that she best get on her way, and turned towards the door. Knowing her father, he was already expecting her and would have some extravagant meal ready. Still, she decided she would stop by the kitchens anyway and grab an apple for the ride.

Her mind was completely absorbed when she reached the door and turned the knob, trying to open it. If she hadn't been so lost in thought about how she was going to break the news of her pregnancy to her father, she might have been more concerned about the door opening only a tiny bit. Either way, she certainly noticed it when she walked straight into the wooden structure, crushing her nose against her face before she fell back on her rear. She looked up at the door in confusion, staring in shock at the partially-opened slab of wood. An iron chain was hooked from the wall to the door about half-way up, effectively trapping her in the room. The door was open, yes, but there was only enough room to peek out; she'd never be able to fit through that gap, not even if she was still stuck in that 10-year-old body!

_"You know you're not leaving the palace for a long time after this, right?"_

_  
"So I say about three weeks. Seems fair, since that's how long you kept this from me."_

_  
_Her eyes widened as Arc's words from the previous day came crashing back to her. Surely he hadn't been serious? He didn't really expect her to stay in their room for three weeks, did he? She gulped and scrambled to her knees, staring at the chain barring her from freedom. He couldn't have been serious. Sure, he had played jokes like that before, but…yes, that was it. It was just a joke. Just a really, really bad joke.

She took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes and bowing her head. The doctor had said it wasn't good to get too angry. Something about how it could hurt the baby. Still, the general overdrive of emotions added to Arc's little stunt made it really hard to do that. Really, really hard. She finally let out a frustrated scream and threw her cloak at the door. An amused chuckle coming from the other side caused her to snap her head up, and her eyes darkened as she realized Arc was standing just outside the room. She pushed herself to her feet and rushed at the door, slamming into it and glaring out the gap the chain allowed. Sure enough, there he was, leaning casually against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes were closed, and his head was bowed. If not for the chuckle coming from him and the bob of his shoulders, she would have thought he had been sleeping.

"Arc! Let me out of here!" she said hotly. He looked up at her, a grin on his face.

"Now why would I do that, huh, Forehead?" he asked. Her eyes narrowed even more, and his grin grew.

"Let me out," she repeated, "right now!"

"I told you, Forehead," he said. "You're getting punished for keeping secrets."

"By locking me in our room?!" she asked. He nodded, and she reached out, trying desperately to punch him. He ducked, laughing at her actions. She let out another aggravated scream as he sat down, watching her through amused eyes.

"You seem upset," he said. He looked the epitome of innocence, yet she wasn't buying it for a minute. "I do believe I told you about this."

"You said I couldn't leave the palace, not our room!" she said.

"And I also said that I should make the punishment worse, since you went on that trip fully aware of the dangers and knowing that you were pregnant," he reminded.

"You said longer than three weeks, not worse!" she said. When he shook his head and made no effort to move, she released an aggravated whine. "Arc, please! I need to go see my father!"

"No, you don't," he said. "He can come here."

"Then I at least need to get out of our room!" she said. He shook his head.

"Nope, I think you can stay in there," he said. He gave her a poignant look, and she bit her lip. "Besides, after yesterday, I don't think I want you going on any trips at all, even if it is just a short one to see Gunberd."

"It's not that far," she said. "I'll be fine!"

He stood, sighing, and unhooked the chain. The door immediately gave way, and with a startled squeak she fell with it. He reached forward, hooking an arm around her and pulling her close before she could reach the ground. He held her securely against him, rubbing her back as she took a few deep breaths and tried to calm her racing heart.

"That was mean," she said. He smirked and nodded.

"You asked for it," he said. She looked up at him, giving him a weak glare. The glare immediately vanished when he leaned down, placing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. Any anger she had previously felt was washed away in that simple motion, and she felt herself melting against him. It amazed her how he had that power over her; somehow, not matter how furious at him she was, he always managed to make her forget it with just one kiss. Of course, that one kiss usually turned into more than one kiss, but it was always that initial show of affection that completely blew her mind. That first kiss always reminded her of how much she loved him, and it always knocked her completely off her feet.

She felt him pull her closer, and her arms slowly found their way around his neck. When he finally pulled away, she rested her head against his chest with a happy sigh. Her smile grew as she felt him place a hand against her stomach, and she looked up at him with soft eyes.

"I still can't believe it," he said.

"Mmm-hmm," she said, nodding slightly as she cuddled closer to him. He kissed her forehead, smiling at her.

"Take it easy, ok?" he asked, almost pleadingly. "I don't want anything happening to you…or our child."

"I know," she said, "but Cube said Papa wanted me to come visit him today."

"At least let me go with you," Arc said. She sighed and nodded, conceding.

"If you must," she said. He nodded, pushing them away from the wall.

"Good," he said. "Then we'll go…" He opened the door beside them and gave her a gentle push, forcing her into the room. Before she fully realized what he had done, he once again hooked the chain in place and began walking down the hall.

"Tomorrow," he said. "We'll go tomorrow."

She stood there, staring at the door in shock. It took a few moments, but she finally realized that she was once again stuck in the room. She grit her teeth and threw her head back, releasing the frustrated scream she had forgotten just a few moments ago.

"ARC!!!!!!!!!!!!"

**A****.n.:** _I never meant to make any of these link together like this. Ah well…guess this stuff just happens. 'Nyway, I was struggling a bit with this theme. I was bouncing between making it something like Gurenda handcuffs 'em together or a chain of events in their lives (or something twisted and S&M, but I don't think that would've fit with the pairing very well… -sweatdrop-), but then this popped up and I had to go with it. 'Cause Arc…well, I can almost guarantee he's gonna have an early grave. XP_


	19. Naught But a Dream

**Title:** "Naught But a Dream"  
**Author:** Wish Wielder  
**Pairing:** Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom:** Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme:** #6 (the space between dream and reality)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Naught But a Dream"**_

Looking back on it now, her whole life seemed like some kind of wacky dream. After all, who had ever heard of a seventeen-year-old trapped in a ten-year-old's body, or a magical tiara that could grant any wish? Granted, she was aware of magic, and things like that could be possible with a little magical aid, but it just wasn't that common. How often did you hear someone talk about their daughter who never grew?

The hard thing for Yucie, though, was deciding what part had been the dream. Up until her tenth birthday, she had been perfectly normal. She grew like everyone else, and for the most part she lived like everyone else. Sure, having a war hero for a dad had its perks, but for the most part she was normal. After that, there were only two options for the dream: was her dream the part of her life where she never grew, or was it the part of her life where she looked her rightful age and had a prince for a suitor?

It was easy to think that the first option was the answer. It did seem life a dream, after all. Spending seven years without growing a single inch, being ridiculed by her peers, having so few friends, hardly traveling into town, dreading her birthday…yes, maybe it had been a dream. There was still a part of her, though, that jabbed her for thinking that: was it really a dream, or was it she just wished it had been? That had been the worst part of her life, being so small. She watched as she went through life, hardly being able to do anything; that was why she had wanted to grow so badly. She had wanted to help the people she cared about. She smiled slightly at that; she had wanted to thank the prince, too, and how could she ever hope to thank him as she was?

And yet, that was the part that truly seemed like a dream. Being chosen as the Platina Princess, saving the life of her prince with a single wish, finding out her prince loved her as much as she loved him…it was definitely the kind of thing you would expect to find in a dream. She didn't even look like a princess, and she certainly didn't act like one! Regardless of that, the Eternal Tiara had still chosen her. Of course, it hadn't had much of a choice; in the end, her friends had withdrawn their candidacy, making her the only valid Puchi Puri. Still, the Tiara could have rejected her, but it hadn't. And with that one wish she received as the Platina Princess, she had saved a life. Because there was no longer any reason for her to remain in a ten-year-old's body, she had resumed growing. She was almost at her proper height now. Even better, her prince had begun courting her. When she thought about it now it wasn't really surprising, but at the time she had been shocked. Yes, he had kissed her that one time, and he had promised to wait for her, but that was just him. He joked around like that. Yet he had been serious, and before she had even thanked him - before she had reached her full height - he had asked if he could approach her father about courtship.

So really, which part of her life was the dream, and which part was the reality? Somehow, she didn't see both being real. She still expected to wake up one morning and find herself still trapped in that small body, or find that she had never been cursed at all.

She looked down at her lap, where Arc's head was resting peacefully. He was lost in a deep sleep, a tranquil smile splayed across his face. She smiled and brushed a hand through his hair, leaning down to kiss the side of his head.

She didn't know what was dream and what was reality, or if there even such a thing as either, but for now she was with Arc, and she was happy, and that was all that really mattered. That was all that ever really mattered.

**A****.n.:** _I just love when things pop up in your head and write so nicely like that. I just got an image of Arc and Yucie on a grassy hill beneath a big blue sky, Arc sleeping with his head in her lap, and then the rest just fell into place. And I'm pretty happy with this one, too, so I'mma leave it at that. 3_


	20. Just One Night

**Title:** "Just One Night"  
**Author:** Wish Wielder  
**Pairing:** Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom:** Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme:** #3 (jolt!)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Just One Night"**_

Arc looked up from where he stood beside Yucie, drying the dishes she was passing to him. He gazed out the window as another low rumble of thunder rolled through the darkened skies, and he bit his lip in concern. He had spent the better half of the day at Yucie's, keeping her company while Gunberd and Cube visited a sick friend in a neighboring town. The sun would be setting soon, and thick, dark clouds had covered the sky, promising a downpour.

"I should leave after this," he said, shattering the comfortable silence that had formed between them. She gave a slight nod, barely acknowledging his declaration. "It'll be hard riding home in the storm, especially since Runner hates thunder."

"There're only a few more," Yucie said, wiping an arm across her forehead. He grinned as he saw the soap suds that had clung to her skin, and without a second thought he reached over and brushed them off. She looked up at him, her brows furrowing in confusion, and he shrugged. She sighed, shaking her head before returning to the task at hand. They finished shortly after, and as he was drying his hands a thought came to him.

"How is it that whenever I come here I always end up helping someone with their chores?" he asked. Yucie looked over her shoulder at him from where she stood on a stool before a cabinet, putting some plates away. A brow was raised in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"Well, when I came that day before the battle in the Fairy World, Cube got me to help him clean Drago-sama, which I never want to do again," he said, walking over to help her off the stool. He grinned when she stood before him; she had finally stopped growing about a month ago, and the top of her head reached his nose. It was a good height for her.

"And now I have you washing dishes, right?" she asked.

"Yeah!" he said. "I'm beginning to feel like the only reason you keep me around is to shirk your chores, Forehead!"

"Well excuse me!" she said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away. "I'm sorry his royal highness willingly volunteered to help out!"

He hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her close and placing a quick kiss on her lips. He released her and turned, walking towards the back door.

"I'll be going now," he said, pulling his cloak off a hook by the exit.

"Let me help you with Runner," Yucie said quickly, a sharp clap of thunder spurring her into motion.

"This rain's going to start any minute, Yucie," he said. She stopped behind him and looked down, a frown turning her lips. He had that look on his face, and he had called her by her name. He only did that when he was being serious.

"Then maybe you should wait the storm out," she suggested. He turned and leaned against the door, watching her with a concerned look. A jolt of lightning streaked through the sky, and she winced. He smiled slightly as the next boom of thunder caused her to jump.

"Or I could leave now and maybe beat it home," he said. He watched her chew her lip, and he could almost see the gears in her head turn as she searched for another excuse.

'Just ask, Yucie,' he thought. A part of him wanted to come out and offer, but he knew he couldn't - not unless she asked first. He couldn't impose himself on her like that.

"W-well, you said it was going to start really soon, so you probably won't, and if you get caught in it you'll get sick," she said after a minute. He sighed and looked out the window above the sink. The sky was getting darker; she had a point: he'd never make it home before the rain. Another jolt of lightning pierced the sky, illuminating the room with an eerie glow.

"It's nice to know that you care, Forehead, but I'll be fine," he said. He kissed her forehead and turned, opening the door. A gust of wind blew past him, carrying with it the scent of rain. He began walking out the door, counting off the seconds in his head. As expected, Yucie reached forward, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a halt. He turned and looked at her, his smile softening at the fearful look in her eyes.

"Please," she said. "Don't go. Not yet."

He turned and leaned against the door, propping it open, and he watched her. She was shifting uncomfortably, and a nervous, fearful look was splayed across her face. She was wringing the bottom of her ruby tunic in her hands, and she was chewing her lower lip - again. He couldn't help but smile at this; she was still scared of thunderstorms.

"I need to get home," he said. He chose to ignore the irony of the statement; really, as long as he was with Yucie, he was home. Of course, she didn't know this (yet), but it was true.

"Please…" she whispered, her voice sounding as small as he figured she must feel. "I don't like being alone during storms…"

He stepped away from the door, allowing it to close behind him, and he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug. He rubbed her back, and she relaxed considerably against him.

"You just had to ask, Forehead," he said. He kissed the side of her head, and she smiled. He felt her nod against him, and he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks, Arc," she said. He nodded.

"Anytime, Princess," he said, leaning back on the door. "Anytime."

**A****.n.:** _Blame spring and the massive thunderstorms we've been getting 'round here lately. I dunno…I kinda like the idea of Yucie being scared of thunderstorms and needing Arc to hang around to protect her. -smiles-_

_  
And that thing Arc asked, about always helping with someone's chores when he goes over to her place…I actually thought that when I saw episode 22. xD_


	21. Trade

**Title**: "Trade"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #4 (our distance and that person)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Trade"**_

The room was unusually somber. The lights were off, and only the palest sliver of moonlight illuminated the dark space. It provided just enough light for Yucie to see the opened book on the desk before her, or, more specifically, the dried, flattened Sunset Bright resting on its pages. The old flower gazed up at her, mocking her with its cheerful disposition. On any given day it served to remind her of Arc, of his taunting laugh or his silent praise, but tonight...how could that flower make her think of anything good tonight? All it brought to mind was Arc's screams. She hadn't even seen him through the mass of people crowding around his bed, but she had heard everything. His screams, his groans...every sound he uttered had torn at her heart.

How had things turned out so bad? The day had held such promise that morning. She had graduated from the Princess Academy, and she was to receive the Final Scene the next day. She remembered Gurenda teasing her because of the bouquet Arc had sent her, and she remembered arguing with Gurenda and Erumina over who would become the Platina Princess. She remembered how good it felt when the townswoman had called her a princess, and how she had stopped to admire that pink dress in the seamstress's shop window, wondering what Arc would think of her once she looked her true age. Everything had been so good until then.

When Frederik had approached her, she knew something was wrong. She had tried to believe that it was nothing serious when he asked her to go to the palace - maybe Arc just wanted to congratulate her in person? - but that feeling of dread had refused to relinquish its grip on her stomach. Then he had told her why, and she didn't even realize she had dropped her graduation presents until he had returned them hours later. She remembered feeling cold, and that was it. She had been so cold...and yet, at the same time, she was filled with disbelief. She hadn't waited for Frederik or even directions to Arc's room before she had run off, racing to where her heart guided her. She had burst into his room, crying out his name and fully expecting him to turn around and greet her with one of his smart comments and mocking kisses.

Nothing but his pained screams had answered her. She hadn't even seen him; the crowd of people around his bed - doctors, she had guessed - had prevented that. But they couldn't block those screams, the ones that were now drilled into her mind, echoing and re-echoing time and time again. She had rushed to get to his side, but as she had taken that first step towards her dying prince Erlsel had stepped before her, extending an arm and barring her path. The queen's glare had been pained but fierce as she told Yucie that no one was to enter the room. As the screaming continued, Erlsel had told her why Arc was suffering: the wound from Diabolos was feeding on his body, much the same as it had done to the Fairy King.

"Just a scratch," huh?

She couldn't remember ever feeling so guilty. Arc had been injured saving her. Because she had been too slow - too stupid to run - his arm had been slashed by one of Diabolos's roots, and now it was killing him. She was killing him.

The guilt had mounted, quickly becoming too much for her to bear, and she had once again found herself needing to be near him. It was almost like her mind wouldn't believe it unless it saw him for itself. So, one more time, she had tried to reach him, yet, again, Erlsel reached out and kept her away.

"Stay back!" she had shouted at her, gray-blue eyes narrowed in the sternest of looks. "You are to receive the Final Scene - nothing must happen to you before that time!"

Once more she had cried his name and tried to get to him.

Once more Erlsel had tightened her grip and ordered her to stay.

She wasn't sure if the tears were her open admission of defeat or just a way to get through the tumult of emotions reeling inside her, but that's when they had come. Large, bulbous tears that reflected her frustration had fallen from glassy, chocolate eyes that not even an hour before had been full of hope and excitement. Now she would trade it all in just to be able to go to him, to hold his hand as she told him to hang on.

For the first time since being selected as a candidate, she did not want it. If becoming the Platina Princess, or even just being a candidate to become her, meant staying away from Arc while he battled for his life, she did not want it. And how could Erlsel, his own mother, worry about the Final Scene when he was dying? Her son was dying, and all she was worried about was the Princess Selection. Why? How could she be so heartless? Didn't she care at all? At that moment, she had wanted nothing more than to slap the queen. Maybe that was another reason the tears had come.

It just wasn't fair. After everything they had been through, how could it end like this? He had survived falling hundreds of feet through dense trees just to be killed by a scratch He had survived the most severe part of the battle - he had fought against Diabolos itself - just to die from a scratch. A scratch!

His pained screams echoed again through her head, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she clutched her pendant. It was all too ironic - too cruel. For the first time in her life, Arc was within her reach - their happily ever after was within their reach - and yet, despite it all, he was farther away than ever.

**A****.n.:** _In case it wasn't painfully obvious, this is set during ep24, just before the dinner with Gunberd. I know a lot of you are probably thinking "Wish, c'mon! She knew she'd use her wish for him - how can you say she wanted to give up her candidacy?!" - but I do have an argument to that. I've always seen it like this: Yucie didn't think of that at first. She was too upset by the simple fact that the man she loved was dying to think of it - at first. When she's in her room, before the dinner, I always saw her just worrying over him, and possibly thinking along the lines of what's above. However, after dinner, Gunberd gives her the dress and comments about her using her wish to become an adult. That's when it hits her: she can save Arc using her wish. That's my version, at least, and it just fit the theme so well, don't you think?_


	22. Records

**Title**: "Records"  
**Author**: Wish Wielder  
**Pairing**: Arc/Yucie  
**Fandom**: Puchi Puri Yucie  
**Theme**: #1 (look over here)  
**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Records"**_

Arc didn't generally consider himself an eavesdropper. However, there was something about the raised voices that just shouted "look over here!" Maybe it was because the voices belonged to Yucie and Drago-sama, or maybe it was the desperation in Yucie's voice - he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was now crouched behind a tree, spying on his wife. She stood on the small overhang before Drago-sama, a thick, leather-bound book in her arms. She was begging him for something, from the looks of it, and she kept holding the book out to the ancient dragon. Drago-sama looked almost perfectly impassive, but Arc could see a tiny glimmer of something - regret? Pride? - in those aged eyes.

"Please, Drago-sama! Please do this for me!" Yucie asked. Drago-sama heaved a deep sigh and shook his head.

"I cannot, Yucie," he said. "This is the natural order of things. You ask me to uproot the very balance of the five worlds! Do you have any idea how disastrous this would be? As guardian of the Human World I cannot allow it."

"Then as my friend!" Yucie cried. "As my father's friend! Can you honestly deny me this?"

"You must understand what you ask, Yucie," Drago-sama said. Yucie's eyes narrowed into that determined stare Arc knew so well, and she gave Drago-sama a decisive nod.

"I ask for the chance to make me the last Platina Princess," she said firmly. "I ask for the chance to keep anyone else from being the Tiara's pawn. I ask for the chance to make that cruelty - that pain - end with me and the other four."

Drago-sama looked away, a deep frown turning his lips. Yucie held the book up once more.

"I've recorded everything in here," she said. "From becoming a Puchi Puri to my friends' return. It's all here. Gurenda helped me make an exact copy, and Ms. Rosa agreed to keep that one safe at the Royal Library, but you know how it is there. By the time the next Princess is ready to be born it could be hidden somewhere in the basement. I need you to take this one and keep it safe. Pass it on to Jing if it comes time for him to take over before she's born."

"I cannot -" Drago-sama started, but Yucie wouldn't here it.

"You can, you just won't!" she screamed. The book fell from her hands, and she crumbled to her knees beside it. She hunched forward, burying her face in her palms as sobs racked her frame. Arc looked away, wincing at the sight of her so distraught.

So that's what she had been so busy with. For the past few months, she would lock herself in their room for hours at a time. She had said it was something important that had to do with the Eternal Tiara, and he had seen the book lying on the desk near the balcony, but he had never pressed her. Maybe that was best, but now…it hurt. It hurt to see her so…so crushed. He knew the trials of the Tiara had hurt her - more than any of them, with the possible exception of the other Puchi Puri, who had almost died because of the Tiara - but it had been over a year, almost two. He had thought - hoped - that she was finally starting to heal, but he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Yucie, the Tiara keeps the five worlds in balance. You saw what happened in the Fairy World with Diabolos -" Drago-sama said, and again Yucie cut him off.

"The Tiara knocked the worlds out of balance! That was why Diabolos attacked," she said, her voice choked with tears. "It wasn't there before Papa completed the Tiara."

"It needed to be destroyed by the Tiara, and though you girls found a way around that, Arc still suffered," Drago-sama said. Yucie turned a fierce eye his way.

"It had seventeen years to develop and attack while we were waiting to reach an age where the Tiara would choose us! The Tiara created it - why would you want that to happen again a thousand years from now?" Yucie asked. "We were lucky with the Fairy World, but a thousand years ago the Tiara caused the Magical World to be destroyed. Which world will the Tiara cost us next?"

"If the next person to assemble the Tiara chooses to do so nothing in that book will deter him from that goal," Drago-sama said.

"If he knows what it will cost it will!" Yucie cried. "If he knows of the trade the Tiara requires he won't dare assemble it! He won't dare put his daughter through that!"

Drago-sama sighed again and looked at the book. Arc could see him chewing it over in his mind, and he knew Yucie's argument was validifying itself as more time passed. He knew the old dragon would take the book long before the wrinkled paw reached out for the tome.

"All right, Yucie," Drago-sama said, and Arc saw Yucie smile. "If I can't talk you out of it…"

"You can't," she said. She offered a weak smile as she stood. "I just had to try to keep the Tiara away from the worlds."

"Go home, Yucie," Drago-sama said. "I'm sure Arc is very worried about you by now."

Arc watched as they said their goodbyes, and he allowed Yucie to walk on a few moments before he turned to follow her. When she neared the end of the forest, he called out to her, causing her to whirl around in shock. He stepped out from behind a nearby tree and walked over to her.

"Is that what you've been doing, Forehead? Writing a history of the Tiara?" he asked. Her eyes widened as she realized he had seen her, and she looked away as tears filled her eyes.

"Queen Erlsel thought it would help me deal with everything, if I wrote it down," she said, "but I thought…when I finished, I realized it might prevent these things from happening again."

"How so?" he asked. She looked up at him as the first tears fell.

"When we…when you were looking for information on the Tiara, all you could find was that one passage saying how it was scattered in the five worlds. No one from Magazerent's time recorded the truth, and Papa collected the pieces without knowing what it would cost. No one from the time before Magazerent wrote about it, and because of it the Tiara was completed and her world and friends were destroyed," she said. She stopped, unable to continue as she remembered the Great Magician. She covered her face with her hands, crying into her palms as she broke down. Arc reached forward, pulling her into his arms in a comforting embrace. He rubbed her back and let her cry; she needed to. He couldn't remember her crying after the other four were returned, but again: he had thought she was healing.

"You did a good thing, Yucie," he said. "I'm proud of you."

Her fists tightened on his tunic, bunching the brown fabric between her fingers. She coughed as she tried to stop her tears, and he placed a hand on her cheek, making her look at him. He brushed his thumb below her eye, wiping away some of her tears before he kissed her forehead.

"Just don't keep me in the dark next time. You're not alone in this. You shouldn't have to deal with it on your own," he said. She smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck in a needy sort of hug.

"I'm sorry," she said. He shook his head.

"Don't be," he said. He tucked her away at his side and began walking towards the main road. "Come on, Forehead. Let's get home."

-W-

Drago-sama sighed as he looked at the book he had agreed to safeguard. He knew it wasn't the wisest of things to do, but maybe Yucie had a point. What harm could truly befall the worlds if the Tiara remained destroyed?

He flipped open the cover and smiled at the first page.

_For Magazerent, because no one should ever have to choose between her friends and her world._

_**A**_**.n.:** _Wheeee!!! I love this one. I loved the idea for it, and…yeah. Magazerent's my favorite female character - I love the story behind her so much - and when the idea came in my head, tying her in like that, I had to write it._

Summer break! And I got ideas for the rest of the Kisses! These should be done soon…I hope. Assuming I get time to work on them between the summer job and packing (we're moving this summer!!!!! -dances-). Ja ne!


	23. Protect the Girl

**Title:** "Protect the Girl"

**Author:** Wish Wielder

**Pairing:** Arc/Yucie

**Fandom:** Puchi Puri Yucie

**Theme:** #9 (dash)

**Disclaimer:** "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie."

_**"Protect the Girl"**_

"Ok! Together we're stronger - let's do it!" Yucie said, pumping her fist and looking at her friends.

Arc turned to look at her, smiling in admiration as he watched her. She just took charge, ready to lead them through anything. And why? Because her friend's home was at stake. Because their lives were at stake.

His eyes widened as he saw a root shoot out of the ground behind her, and he turned around, staring at her in shock. Didn't any of them see it?

"Yucie, move!" he called, but he doubted she heard him. She slowly turned, her eyes widening as she saw the black root hovering behind her. He cursed as he saw it start towards her. Why wasn't she moving?!

He knew he wouldn't make it. He was too slow, and Yucie wasn't helping any by just standing there. Still, he had to try. He had to save her. Drago-sama's instructions to protect them echoed through his mind, and his eyes narrowed as he ran faster. He couldn't let Drago-sama down. Still, why did it seem like he wasn't moving anywhere? The root was still moving towards her, and she was still staring at it, but he didn't feel like he was getting any closer. He forced his legs to move faster, and he flipped his sword to his other hand as he neared her.

It happened in a blur, but one minute he was still a few paces away, and the next he had leapt for her, grabbing her about the waist as he slashed at the root that was too close for comfort. He landed a short distance away, his eyes glancing back to see the root fall to the ground in a severed state. He looked back at Yucie, smiling as he realized she was ok. He knew it had only been seconds, but that had been the longest dash of his life.

"Arc, you..." she whispered, her eyes wide in shock. He smiled, looking her over once more to make sure she was ok, and he laughed slightly. The laugh died quickly, though, as a blinding pain blossomed in his arm. He grit his teeth and clutched at the assaulted area, his eyes darkening in pain as the gash continued to smart.

"Are you ok?!" Yucie asked, taking a step towards him. He looked at her and bit his lip; her eyes...she looked so worried. He smiled at her and nodded.

"It's...just a scratch," he said. She frowned at him, and he gave her a determined look. "Right now...you still got something you need to take care of."

She looked at him a moment longer, biting her lip in concern, before her gaze hardened. She nodded at him, and he turned to face the dactyls flying towards him. He wasn't about to let anything else get close enough to harm her.

"Now go!"

**A.n.:** _Meh...I didn't think this would be so short.-wince-I've had this idea in my head for a while, and the quotes from the ep typed and printed for a few weeks now, but I only just got to writing it today. Kind of ironic thing is that, while writing this, I'm listening to "Settle For A Slowdown." -sweatdrop- Is it just me, or is there something seriously wrong with that?_


End file.
